'More clarity' - Thomas Frank's differences to Ange Postecoglou explained as Guglielmo Vicario admits Tottenham have better 'understanding' under new boss

Tuesday night’s 1-0 triumph over Villarreal in the Champions League wasn’t just a statement win. It was another defensive masterclass. That shutout made it four clean sheets in their first five matches under Frank. Compare that to the same stage under Postecoglou a year ago, when Spurs had just one clean sheet to their name. The difference couldn’t be starker. Vicario insists the team now have a far deeper understanding of how to manage games from back to front.

Talking to reporters, Vicario said: "What has changed is being able to recognise the different phases of the game, understanding when we need to press high with intensity and when we need to cover the pitch better. In general, there’s more focus on defending the box, also because we have more clarity about the different movements without the ball."

But the keeper wasn’t blind to the flaws, either. He admitted Spurs gave Villarreal too many opportunities on the break and warned they need to “take away hope” from teams trying to hit them on the counter.

“Against Villarreal, we allowed a few too many transitions, and we need to take away a bit of hope from the opponents when they go on counterattack. Overall, it was an excellent defensive performance as a team, and we have to keep going this way," he added.

Vicario believes the biggest transformation has come from the Europa League triumph last season, a moment that broke Tottenham’s infamous cycle of near-misses. 

“Winning surely gives you a different dimension, probably even in the eyes of others and a bit of healthy respect. We used to have this thing, even within the club, of being the ones who always got there but never managed to win,” he said.

“But now we’ve done it. That’s freed us up a little. We’ve taken a weight off our shoulders, so we can now move forward, aware of our strengths. And also with some goals, which we’ll keep to ourselves, but we absolutely want to achieve.”

Tottenham’s early-season form suggests Frank’s blueprint is already paying off. Three wins from their opening four league matches have them planted firmly in the mix at the top end of the table. The next challenge comes on Saturday at the Amex, where Brighton will test Spurs’ newfound defensive steel.