Ange Postecoglou told Antonin Kinsky strengths and one problem after Tottenham transfer complete
It could be all change in goal for Tottenham over the next few weeks following Antonin Kinsky's transfer to the club. The goalkeeper joins Ange Postecoglou's side in a £12.5million deal from Slavia Prague, with the 21-year-old penning a contract until 2031 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
In Guglielmo Vicario's absence through injury, Fraser Forster has been first choice for the head coach but the experienced goalkeeper was absent for Saturday's defeat against Newcastle United. Academy graduate Brandon Austin came in for his competitive debut and claimed TNT Sports' man of the match award after producing a really good display between the sticks.
Now that Kinsky is officially a Tottenham player, the Czech ace could potentially come in for his debut over the next week as the north London club have two games to play. Wednesday evening sees Liverpool visit N17 for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie, with Tottenham then on the road on Sunday as they take on National League side Tamworth in the third round of the FA Cup.
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Kinsky joins Tottenham as one of the most highly-rated young goalkeepers in the game after wowing for Slavia Prague. Keeping 12 clean sheets in 19 league matches this campaign, the starlet also has experience of playing in the Europa League and Champions League qualifying for Slavia.
So what exactly can Tottenham fans expect from Kinsky? football.london takes a look below.
In an interview with Flashscore back in October, MFK Vyskov goalkeeper coach Rostislav Horacek, who worked with Kinsky at the Czech club during the player's loan spell, gave an insight into the talented goalkeeper's strengths, weaknesses and so much more.
"We probably don't need to talk about goalkeeping skills, but Tonda [Kinsky] has a great head," explained the 57-year-old. "He has great self-confidence, but not that he's cocky, he believes in himself to the fullest.
"It's hard for me to find any comparison. I would say Martina Sablikova, for example. It's an internal mindset, where you don't doubt yourself and have a healthy belief in your abilities. How many times can Tonda do something in a match that would make his job much easier, but he prefers to choose a riskier solution because he wants to solve the situation in a footballing way at all costs. Moreover, it is also reflected in other things."
Comparisons with fellow countryman Petr Cech are only natural given the goalkeeper's success in the Premier League with Chelsea and Arsenal. Horacek revealed that Kinsky regularly faced a similar scenario with Slavia that Cech had on a regular basis in England's top flight.
"He has an excellent defence in front of him in Slavia, that has to be left alone, but at the same time it is difficult for him in that he often goes 40 minutes without making a save and then has to quickly resolve a difficult situation," he revealed. "This is exactly what Petr Cech used to do at Chelsea. He had a strong defence in front of him, led by John Terry, but then he had to show off with one or two saves.
"Tonda is strong in this. He can read the opponent and resolve it. I also admit that I am waiting for a match when he will be under more pressure to see how he reacts. Maybe it will be in the derby now. You will show the most about yourself in crisis situations."
Kinsky very much appears to be a confident goalkeeper and one who is comfortable using either foot.
"What I like about him is that his style of play prevents him from coming under pressure," said Horacek. "He plays in a way that makes sense and prevents the opponent from immediately going on a break. This makes his job easier for him, but above all it helps the whole team.
"Moreover, he doesn't care which foot he kicks the ball with. I asked him in training which he prefers, but he said he doesn't care. In short, he kicks with both the same way."
He added: "He has a problem with one thing. Sometimes he doesn't get into a match, when he has a 30-minute dead end, where he doesn't get the ball at all. It bothers him because he loves to play, to pass. He needs it. And when the ball gets to him, he sometimes has a tendency to want to be seen and to invent unnecessarily complicated things.
"I can imagine that against Ajax, for example, the coaches had to restrain him from going crazy with some risky pass, because it could smell like trouble."
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