Roberto De Zerbi is aiming to build a strong identity and return Tottenham to the top.
Tottenham Hotspur somehow managed to escape further embarrassment last season after finding themselves in a relegation dogfight during the second half of the campaign. The Lilywhites struggled to get going, and after the failures of Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, the players appeared to have lost belief on the pitch.
However, in came Roberto De Zerbi during the March international break and turned the fortunes of the club around. He steadied the ship and brought back the feel-good factor at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after several months of toxic atmosphere. The Italian boss turned out to be the difference between relegation and safety for the Lilywhites.
Former Brighton manager Chris Hughton heaps praise on Roberto De Zerbi
In a short span, Roberto De Zerbi managed to instill the fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude in the Tottenham dressing room. He struck a quick relationship with all the players, lifted their confidence levels and backed them to the hilt to perform at their best in every single game.
A combination of these factors resulted in Spurs’ great escape from the jaws of relegation. Following De Zerbi’s great work to keep the North London club, former Spurs assistant coach Chris Hughton has heaped praise on the 47-year-old. He claims that the Italian is a type of manager “you want to play for”, whilst admiring his courageous decision to take the Tottenham job at their lowest ebb.
“First and foremost, to take the job at the time he did was huge pressure in itself,” Chris Hughton said on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily (h/t BBC Sport).
“You don’t want to be the manager, if only for a few games, that takes a club like Tottenham down.
“For that reason, I would say him taking this job showed he has a lot of confidence in himself. He knew he could do the job and keep the team up.
“I’m quite sure he would’ve known about the funds that were going to be spent and the players that were going to be brought in this summer. He would’ve known that if he could keep the club in the division, he would have a really good opportunity to build.”
Hughton says that De Zerbi is a very demanding coach, tactically astute with an eye for detail in training sessions. The former Marseille manager gives the players a “real feel-good factor” to thrive and showcase their potential.
“What I know about him is that he is a very demanding coach. His players speak very well of him. He is not only demanding of his players, but also of his coaching staff. There is real detail in his training sessions,” the 67-year-old added.
“You can also see his enthusiasm. He gives his players a real feel-good factor.
“The fact that players are coming through the door now will incredibly lift the spirits in that changing room. He is the type of coach you want to play for.”
Tottenham rebuild taking shape
Spurs have heavily reshaped their squad this transfer window, adding Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, and Andy Robertson, despite losing key figures such as Cristian Romero, Djed Spence, and Guglielmo Vicario. They have also sold some highly-rated young talents, including Croatian defender Luka Vuskovic.
With work still being done to improve the squad further in the final phase of the summer transfer window, the onus falls on De Zerbi to get the best out of his squad and deliver positive results right from the start. There is no room for error, and the North Londoners cannot afford to start slowly in the 47-year-old’s first full season at the club.
