Tottenham Hotspur’s 17th-place finish in the Premier League last season will no doubt have rung the alarm bells of the hierarchy during the off-season.
As a result, Ange Postecoglou was handed his marching orders, which led to the responsibility falling into the hands of Thomas Frank after his appointment from Brentford.
The Dane was even-handed funds of over £100m in the summer window to make the changes he desired to the squad, but it appears as though the cracks are starting to show once again.
The Lilywhites are currently sitting in 11th place in England’s top-flight, after enduring a slump in form which has resulted in four losses over the last seven matches.
During such a run, one player has no doubt played a huge part in their struggles, with his mistakes undoubtedly costing Frank’s men during numerous key moments.
Why Guglielmo Vicario has struggled in 2025/26
Over the last couple of months, boss Frank has still decided to stick with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario despite the shot-stopper making numerous mistakes in the Premier League.
His failed clearance against Fulham led to Harry Wilson firing into an empty net, with such an effort proving to be the winner and contributing to the recent poor form in North London.
Sunday’s outing against Nottingham Forest also showcased the 29-year-old’s struggles, with his short pass to Archie Gray being picked off by Ibrahim Sangare - leading to the opening goal.
He also massively misjudged Callum Hudson-Odoi’s second-half cross at the City Ground, leading to a two-goal cushion for Sean Dyche’s side and confining Frank’s men to another loss.
This campaign alone, Vicario has registered the most errors leading to goals of any ‘keeper in the division - further highlighting his lack of quality in recent months.
Ultimately, the club need to sort out the situation between the sticks, with the lack of quality in such a department no doubt preventing the side in key matches.
Spurs star is becoming Frank's biggest weakness
With the club sitting in the bottom half of England’s top-flight, it’s evident that Frank is yet to find the winning formula on a consistent basis after taking the reins at Spurs.
Richarlison has often been the man to start in the centre-forward position, but often to little effect, as seen by his performance against Forest on Sunday afternoon.
The Brazilian featured for the entirety of the defeat, but could only register a total of 16 touches - the lowest of any player on the pitch, showcasing his lack of impact.
He also failed to register a single shot on target, whilst also losing 75% of the aerial battles he entered, often being dominated by the Reds’ backline.
However, despite his struggles, his teammate Rodrigo Bentancur has once again come under fire, with the Uruguayan international another player who’s struggled to match expectations.
He’s featured in all but one league game of the 2025/26 campaign, but that doesn’t mean he’s been below the standard many expected after his new contract.
Frank evidently has a lot of faith in the 28-year-old, but it should no doubt be wearing thin, especially when taking his recent showing against the Reds into consideration.
Bentancur started the game and featured for 59 minutes before being withdrawn, with his numbers from the game showing his lack of positive impact at the City Ground.
He failed to win any of the three tackles he entered, whilst being beaten in 80% of the aerials he contested, often being dominated just like Richarlison.
The midfielder also only registered 46 touches of the ball, whilst also giving possession away on five occasions - highlighting his wasteful nature in possession.
After the showing in the East Midlands, Mitch Fretton, a journalist and content creator, labelled him and Vicario as “clear weaknesses” in the current squad.
Both have massively struggled to match the faith shown in them by the manager, which could lead to both of them being offloaded in the months ahead.
The Dane was brought into the club to bring added success after the Europa League triumph, but if he is to do just that, he desperately needs to offload Vicario and Bentancur.