Former Spurs, Swansea and Holland Goalkeeper Michel Vorm talks exclusively to 888 Sport about several topics including his former clubs form in the Premier League, the impact of injuries and how the club can look to get back winning.
Michel Vorm also shares his view on Harry Kane, who he played with during his time at Spurs.
Is losing at home to Leicester the final straw for Postecoglou? What do you think Tottenham should do regarding the manager going forward?
No, the issue lies deeper than just the Manager. I was at the game and you can see the pressure on the players when they play at home.
The players were trying hard, the commitment was good, but it seems whatever the players are trying, just isn’t coming off. The injuries to the two centre backs has been tough and also Vicario.
It wasn’t long ago since Spurs won 4-0 at Man City. I don’t see an overnight change if a new manager comes in. Firstly, Spurs must get the players back fit from their starting XI as we know they can compete when they have everyone ready.
You need to look at the whole organisation now and see where you want the club to go, what style of football you want to play and then make a decision. But mid-season isn’t going to change a lot.
What is your opinion on Tottenham’s current goalkeepers and do you think Antonin Kinsky can usurp Guglielmo Vicario to be Tottenham’s number one?
Vicario is Spurs’ number 1 and when he is back fit, he will come straight back into the side. He has the experience and he has shown good performances in his Spurs career.
Kinsky is a good signing and can gain great experience by playing games and with playing games you get to know the pace of the game and also get a good feel of how the Team wants to play as the Goal Keeper is now an even bigger part of the team with so many teams wanting to play out from the back.
Tottenham are yet to sign an outfield player and have an injury hit squad. This month they have however booked music concerts and boxing fights at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Do you think Daniel Levy has the football team's best interests at heart?
It’s a tough one, but from my time at Spurs and speaking with Daniel, he 100% has the Clubs best interest at heart.
The one frustration from fans is that he may not give too many interviews, so you can’t see what is going on and decisions that are being made, but he has moved Spurs on with the Stadium and does want Spurs to be at the top.
With Ange Postecoglou the latest in a long line of successful managers to struggle at the club, if not the managers, what do you think is the problem?
I am not in the Club right now, but in my time, we had a very tight group of players, we spoke regularly, we communicated and had good leaders.
We had a great Manager, but we had talented players all around the pitch. Maybe this has changed and there is something not right as the players are giving lots of effort and trying, but it seems they aren’t making the right decisions on the pitch.
From a Manager perspective, it’s a difficult one for sure as Spurs should be higher in the table.
Postecoglou recently stated that Tottenham would be “playing with fire” by not signing anyone else in a recent press conference, what position do you believe Tottenham should strengthen at the end of this window?
When Spurs have all their players back, they have a very good squad and can compete with the best. But with so many injuries and having 4 goalkeepers playing this season, the team can’t get a consistent team on the pitch.
Transfer wise, in January, it’s always difficult, so you really need to be selective as to who you bring in, but if you can add to the squad, it can give a breather to some players, who have been playing so many games.
One of Spurs bright spots has been the youngsters coming through, Bergvall, Gray, Mikey Moore… what does the future hold for these players? How much benefit will they get long-term from playing regularly in this bad run?
Absolutely. They are all very talented players and this extended run in the team will do them so well for the future. They all have a bright future and they are getting a lot of game time.
They are learning them a lot and it will benefit them in their career for sure.
To come through this period will have done them a lot of good, and you can tell they aren’t phased by playing in all the competitions they are and if Spurs can invest in players in the summer, these three players especially will be crucial to the future of the Club.
Could Spurs go down?
Michel: No, spurs won’t get relegated. They have players coming back fit and once they do, they will be better for sure as with all of their players fit, Spurs are a very good squad.
The team is in a struggle at the minute, especially at home and you can see the players feel pressure when they are on the pitch.
The effort is there, the commitment is there, but they just seem to not be able to make the right decisions on the pitch. It will turn, but at the minute you need strong characters to push the team on.
What is your favourite memory at Spurs?
Michel: It’s a great Football Club, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Club. For me we had a top squad of players. Walker, Rose, Vertonghen, Toby, Harry, Deli, Erikson, Son joined as well.
We are a great tight group and in terms of memory it was just being part of a very good team and winning games and the journey to the Champions League Final was great.
What was the buildup like to the UCL final? Was it one of the most nerve-wracking moments in your life?
Not nerve wracking, it was full of enjoyment and anticipation.
We knew we had a good team, we had a lot of leaders, courage and fight and were never going to give up. We fought to the end, but Liverpool just had enough.
What are your reflections on that special night in Amsterdam?
That really summed it up for me. It was a pleasure and was so proud to be part of that squad. We had a really good team and a group of players that were all in sync with each other.
We communicated well as a team and had so much talent and quality. Not only the first XI, but most important was all the squad played a big part in that season and we had huge confidence in each other.
Is Luke Williams the man to take Swansea back to the Premier League?
Michel: It is so tough to get to the Premier League. It’s super competitive with the relegated clubs having more money and also bigger squads.
It’s all about having the right squad, the right manager, the right philosophy and everyone at the club on board with where you want to go.
You need luck for sure, but the main thing is to be consistent over a period where you can progress towards the play-offs and then take the big leap up. There has been lots of changes at Swansea since my time, but by taking small steps and a positive journey forward, it is possible.
Jorrel Hato of Ajax is the latest talent to burst through in the Netherlands. He has been linked with Arsenal among a few Prem teams, what would be the next step for him, having made the jump from Eredivisie to Britain yourself?
100% Jorrel Hato is a top talent, and I think almost big Club in Europe is looking at him. He starts every game, and he needs game time to gain more experience.
He has played in a few positions in defence, and I would say don’t leave too early, but I think the Dutch League is a good one to begin your career and then to then progress to one of the big Leagues in Europe, like the Premier League or La Liga.
I am sure he will go onto have a big career, and it could well be in the Premier League, so let’s see what happens this summer.
Tell us about playing with Harry Kane when you were at Spurs?
Harry Kane is a wonderful player. He is so intelligent, he works so hard, he was destined to be great. Alongside Lewandowski, they are two of the best number 9’s I have seen play.
He can score all types of goals, with his left or right food, with his head, from the sport or free kick. He understands the game so well. He trains well and did so much work off the pitch to get himself to be the best possible version he can be.
He does need to win trophies to be regarded as one of the best, but he can continue for a while if he takes care of his body which I know he will.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Adobe*
