Roberto De Zerbi must hit the ground running at Tottenham.
Roberto De Zerbi is a man on a mission after being appointed as the Tottenham Hotspur head coach last week.
He has penned a lucrative five-year deal with no relegation clause, meaning the 46-year-old will continue being the Lilywhites’ head coach even if the club goes down. The Italian has not only won the trust of Spurs chiefs in the short-term, but also for the future. With just seven games left to preserve their top-flight status, Roberto De Zerbi knows he has very little time between now and the end of the season, and that performances and results must improve instantly.
Tottenham are just a point above the relegation zone and risk dropping to 18th in the table should West Ham beat Wolverhampton Wanderers at home on Friday evening. So, the Spurs fans would pray for Wolves to beat West Ham and our boys to beat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
Sean Dyche outlines plan for Roberto De Zerbi to keep Tottenham up
Before De Zerbi took charge, Sean Dyche was heavily linked with the Tottenham job vacated by Igor Tudor. The former Burnley and Everton boss has since said that Spurs didn’t contact him about the role, but he believes the North London club can stave off relegation from the Premier League if they implement these three key principles.
When asked how De Zerbi can keep Spurs up, Dyche said on the talkSPORT show:
“Well, for me, it’ be strong, fit, and organised. That keeps you strong, fit, and organised. Strong, fit, and organised. That’s what I would go. That’s what I was trying to get into the group at Forest. Yeah.
“Not just talent. Not rely just on talent. What’s the framework of the side? What’s the energy? What’s the output? What’s the hard yards? How much of that are you putting in? Coz after years of being in the game, if you ain’t got that right, you’re going to find it very, very difficult to stay in the Premier League if you don’t get the framework and the basics right.”
De Zerbi has to adapt to the players
De Zerbi is well-known for the tactical impact he’s had on the Premier League from his Brighton days, beating ‘Big Six’ teams with his high-pressing and aggressive system. As it is a complex style of play, it will take time for the current Tottenham players to understand and produce it on the pitch regularly.
The 46-year-old currently does not have time to fully implement his tactical philosophy and style of play within the squad, with Tottenham battling relegation. So, he will need to adapt to his players’ strengths and weaknesses for the next two months to get the Lilywhites out of the rut.
There is no doubting the Italian’s quality as a coach, but he must make some compromises in the pursuit of Premier League survival.