Tottenham's dreadful form in December and January was about so much more than the loss of any single player but, looking back, the rot really set in after Guglielmo Vicario joined the injury list.
When Vicario had surgery on a fractured bone in his ankle at the end of November, Spurs were still fifth in a congested Premier League table, four points shy of second-placed Manchester City, who they had just beaten 4-0 in what would prove the goalkeeper's final appearance for more than two months.
