Jermaine Beckford has urged Roberto De Zerbi to get the Tottenham dressing room in order.
Jermaine Beckford has delivered an enthusiastic endorsement of Roberto De Zerbi’s ability to transform Tottenham Hotspur‘s culture this summer, insisting the Italian has the personality and authority to confront the ego problem within the dressing room while steering the club back toward the European football that their stature demands.
Speaking after Sunday’s survival-securing 1-0 victory over Everton, Beckford was characteristically direct in his assessment of where Tottenham stand and where they need to go, combining an honest acknowledgement of the internal issues that have plagued the club with genuine optimism about what De Zerbi can deliver given the opportunity of a full pre-season. The Brit said (h/t BBC Sport):
“There are egos in that Tottenham dressing room but De Zerbi is going to whip them into shape,” Beckford said. “Tottenham is a massive football club, where they have been the last couple of seasons isn’t where they should be. They should be aiming to finish in those European spots.”
The comment about egos will resonate with supporters who have spent the season watching a squad that too often appeared to lack the collective commitment and selflessness that relegation battles demand.
Individual interests, questions about player commitment and the kind of dressing room dysfunction that contributed to the departures of three managers in a single campaign have all been part of the story of a deeply troubled year. De Zerbi’s handling of those dynamics, alongside his ability to implement a clear and demanding tactical identity, will be one of the defining tests of his tenure.
Beckford has voiced reasonable expectations
The broader ambition Beckford articulates is not unreasonable. Tottenham have the infrastructure, the fanbase and, if the summer investment promised by the Lewis family materialises, the financial resources to compete for European places. The Pochettino era demonstrated what this club is capable of when properly organised and motivated. De Zerbi’s task is to recreate that environment from scratch, with a rebuilt squad and a renewed sense of purpose.
Sunday was the first step. The egos will be dealt with. The European spots are the destination. After the season Tottenham have endured, that vision feels both necessary and, for the first time in a long while, genuinely achievable.