Tottenham fans are hoping Roberto de Zerbi helps the club avoid relegation this season.
Roberto de Zerbi’s Tottenham tenure began with a defeat against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday. The Lilywhites suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to the Black Cats, courtesy of a second-half goal from Nordi Mukiele. The result also means that the North Londoners are still without a league win since the turn of the year, making it increasingly difficult for fans to believe their side can avoid relegation from the Premier League this season.
Many supporters had expected the players to rise to the occasion under De Zerbi as the Lilywhites travelled to Wearside for this crucial fixture. A new manager bounce was something the Spurs faithful were hoping for in such a must-win encounter. However, that did not materialise, and the performance was far from inspiring. The players did not appear to be fighting for the badge, and questionable refereeing decisions compounded matters as the North Londoners returned home empty-handed.
Spurs now sit two points adrift of safety and remain in the relegation zone this week. With six matches still to play, Roberto de Zerbi has time to guide the club back to winning ways and help them avoid dropping into the second division next season. However, the Italian tactician will be hoping for a much stronger response from his players in the coming weeks, starting with the crucial home clash against Brighton next weekend.
Roberto de Zerbi to stay put at Tottenham beyond this season?
Tottenham finally succeeded in appointing Roberto de Zerbi at N17 earlier this month. The Italian tactician signed a lucrative five-year contract with the club, making him the third-highest-paid manager in the Premier League this season. Notably, his deal does not include a relegation clause, which was viewed as a positive by supporters. With the Lilywhites fighting for survival, the 46-year-old has already made it clear that he intends to remain at Hotspur Way even if the club is relegated this season.
Now, Teddy Sheringham has offered his honest verdict on whether the former Brighton boss would truly stay at N17 if relegation becomes a reality. Speaking to Best Betting Sites (via TEAMtalk), Sheringham said,
“First things first, they’ve got to stay up – that’s the priority. Things can go bad – he could have a run like Igor Tudor and get one point from six games, and then you don’t know. If someone’s getting a five-year deal, you’d like to think they’re staying on, but you never know in this game. I’d think he’ll be there whether they stay up or go down.”
As Sheringham rightly points out, Roberto de Zerbi’s immediate priority is to ensure Spurs avoid relegation this season. However, the former striker warns that a winless run similar to Igor Tudor’s could place the Italian’s long-term future at N17 under scrutiny. Despite that concern, Sheringham believes De Zerbi is likely to remain at the North London club beyond this season, regardless of whether they stay up or go down, largely due to the long-term nature of his contract.
Spurs fans can only hope that Roberto de Zerbi manages to steady the ship at N17 and guide the Lilywhites back to winning ways in the coming weeks. Under no circumstances can the North Londoners afford to go down this season. Relegation would be a significant embarrassment for everyone associated with the club and could derail their long-term project, forcing them to rebuild from scratch once again.