Hugo Lloris: Former Tottenham goalkeeper Erik Thorstvedt backs captain to keep starting place against Crystal Palace
There have been calls for Mauricio Pochettino to drop Lloris, but Thorstvedt believes he can play at the top level until he's 40
Former Tottenham goalkeeper Erik Thorstvedt has rubbished calls for Mauricio Pochettino to drop under-fire star Hugo Lloris.
The Spurs captain failed to hold Mohamed Salah’s 90th-minute header as the ball deflected off Toby Alderweireld and into the net to condemn his side to a 2-1 defeat on Sunday.
It was Lloris’ third high-profile error of the season after blundering against Barcelona and PSV in the Champions League.
Ex-Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas thinks the Frenchman should be replaced by no.2 stopper Paulo Gazzaniga for Wednesday’s game against Crystal Palace, while talkSPORT host Tony Cascarino has urged the club to buy a new goalkeeper.
But Thorstvedt, who made 218 appearances for Spurs in a seven-year spell from 1989, has leapt to the defence of Lloris.
He told talkSPORT: “I’m 100 per cent sure that Hugo Lloris needs to stay in goal.
“Gazzaniga has done tremendously well, a lot better than I expected, he’s done really, really well when he’s played in the cup matches.
“But still, the reputation Hugo has got inside the team, he’s the captain, he’s a World Cup-winning captain with France.
“Two seasons ago, he was by far the best goalkeeper in the Premier League.
“Obviously it’s been difficult to maintain that incredibly high standard, but he’s still a really good goalie.
“Tottenham don't let many goals in, even though they’re going through a bad patch now, they don't let many goals in. He’s a big part of that.”
Lloris has been an ever-present in Tottenham’s starting XI since joining in a £12million deal from Lyon in 2012.
In that time, he has been a Euro 2016 finalist and a World Cup 2018 winner with France.
Thorstvedt, who won the FA Cup with Spurs in 1991, believes the 32-year-old can play at the top level for another eight years.
The ex-Norway international added: “It’s very common now that goalkeepers play until they're 40. It’s a privileged life.
“If you’re hungry, motivated and your body says ‘okay, go for it’ then you can keep going until at least 40.
“Sometimes goalkeepers get better because of experience. So I don't think he’s going to pack it in for a while.”
Tottenham’s alarming run of form of four defeats in five Premier League games has put their top-four spot in jeopardy. They are just one point ahead of Manchester United and Chelsea, who occupy fifth and sixth place, respectively.
Thorstvedt is confident Spurs will be playing Champions League football in their new £1billion stadium next season.
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And with a Champions League quarter-final tie with Manchester City on the horizon, the 56-year-old insists it has been a good season for his old club.
“This terrible period has come along where they've taken one point out of a possible 15. That’s made it really tough when it comes to making the top four, but for me, they are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League," he said.
“What can you expect? It’s the third time it’s happened in the history of the club. So I think it’s a good season whatever way you look at it.
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“It’s natural for the fans to say ‘we made the top four last season and we need to do better this season’, but they've established themselves as one of England’s top teams and that’s a tremendous effort.
“Also, when you look at the amount of money they haven't spent on players, the club is in good shape, the stadium is opening up. Mauricio Pochettino is doing a tremendous job.
“I still think they’re going to make the top four.”