In safe hands

Hugo Lloris has won the battle to be Tottenham's number one and he is gaining authority as the team face Swansea today
Jonathan Northcroft The Sunday Times Published: 16 December 2012

Wait ing game: Lloris has dislodged Brad Friedel as Spurs goalkeeper (JOHN KIRKPATRICK)

HUGO LLORISS agent is his father, Luc, who has played a pivotal role in his career. Luc Lloris is a stellar performer in his own right as an international law specialist and merchant banker, based in Monte Carlo. Tottenhams goalkeeper (whose late mother was also a lawyer) never, unlike many footballers, knew deprivation before he made it. But that does not mean he cannot handle adversity. Lloris arrived at White Hart Lane from Lyons as France captain, at 12m one of the worlds five most expensive goalkeepers and one of the most sought-after footballers in Europe.

Tottenham put him on their bench. It was not easy. This was not intended, that I did not play. But in the end you must give your answers on the pitch and through that experience I will grow, Lloris said. It could be that Andre Villas-Boas, still a gauche manager as far as his critics are concerned, has pulled off a canny trick. He kept Lloris out of his starting XI initially out of respect to the popular Brad Friedel, given his fine record since joining Spurs in 2011, and then due to his form this season. Footballers appreciate meritocracy and Villas-Boass courageous decision to ignore the clamour from figures such as the France manager Didier Deschamps, and promote Lloris on reputation, would have impressed his new squad. But it also served as a test for Lloris, who is now in the team via performances, having won the battle with Friedel by showing his skill and character. Lloris reputation and confidence he can succeed in the Premier League has been enhanced. His first big game was a 5-2 defeat by Arsenal but Lloris actually stopped the score being worse and though there was a glitch at Goodison Park (when a mix up with Steven Caulker led to Evertons equaliser in a 2-1 reverse), Lloris has featured in a run that represents Spurs best defensive form of the season four goals conceded in four Premier League games compared with 21 in the previous 12.

It was difficult for Hugo at first, admitted Villas-Boas. Weve recognised it was not easy for him at that time. There were expectations for him to come straight into the team. But weve done nothing except respect performance and the situation when he signed if you recall the transfer was done just before the Norwich game and then in the Norwich game Brad performed extremely well. So we gave a sequence of games in the Premier League using Brad and Hugo was used more in the Europa League. He was extremely patient. You know I have to remind you that you can see Brad coming back into the team at any time because we respect what he has done for us. Were very happy with our competition with goalkeepers. We have four wonderful keepers. But, at the moment, youd have to say Hugo [has won the battle to be first choice]. Of course solving one problem can create another. Speculation that Lloris might have sought a January transfer, had he not won his place, was misguided for the glaring reason that Fifa regulations do not allow players to play for more than two clubs in a season. Lloris only option would have been to embarrassingly return to Lyons. But now Friedel, 42 in May and seeking to make the most of whats left of his career, is said to be restless. Villas-Boas will have to manage the situation because while he is willing to let Heurelho Gomes leave, he wants to retain his other back-ups: Carlo Cudicini and, especially, Friedel. Its very hard for that to happen, to be fair. We wouldnt want Brad to go and he hasnt said he wants to leave, said Villas-Boas.

Interestingly, the Portuguese remarked that preparing for a game against todays opposition, Swansea, was different to any other domestic assignment. Because of the nature of the football they play, much more European, they like to touch the ball and keep the ball although they are very, very quick and aggressive in the way they attack. They are very patient and you have to shift from the more direct objective teams that we have in the Premier League to much more on the counterattack. Despite moving to 4-4-2 recently, with Gareth Bale out injured and Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermain Defoe reestablished as a partnership, Villas-Boas is still seeking to European-ise Tottenham. Lloris, compared earlier in his career to Iker Casillas, is seen like Swanseas Michel Vorm as part of the new generation of sweeper keepers. Though Villas-Boas seemed at great pains not to make any negative comparisons between Lloris and Friedel it was what he was alluding to when he said they have very different characteristics. He noted, Brad is 41 and has been in the game a long time. You have to bear in mind there are differences but it doesnt mean one is better than the other. Both are great shot-stoppers. Brad is more active on his line, Hugo much more active off his line. We havent differentiated how our defence behaves in terms of whos in goal. We try to keep the same behaviours in terms of a pushed line and pressing up. Both [goalkeepers] we know through their experience can play in that system, although I think one is quicker than the other in the reaction to defensive situations.

With Lloris more active off his line and ready to mop up through balls, it might prove easier for Tottenhams back four to defend higher up the pitch, as Villas-Boas likes. Galvanising Spurs defensively is on his mind he ruled out letting Michael Dawson leave in January and he sees the return of Scott Parker, in line for a substitutes role today, as an important step. Fans want an end to the agony of late goals conceded. The stat rolled out this week, that Spurs would top the Premier League if all their matches had finished after 80 minutes, was poignant. Obviously Scott has to compete with Sandro and Moussa Dembele and everybody else but I see him playing regularly. We recognise the importance of the player and rate him very, very highly, Villas-Boas said. He offers us even more options in midfield: experience, leadership, communication skills, all that. We have very good recoverers of the ball in Sandro and Moussa in that midfield area but Scotty takes us to another level.