Tottenham face growing pressure to sack Roberto De Zerbi, with Danny Murphy and Darren Lewis backing a potential Mauricio Pochettino return.
Tottenham Hotspur have been urged to pull the trigger on head coach Roberto De Zerbi and re-appoint fan favorite Mauricio Pochettino following a disastrous, winless start to the Premier League campaign. Spurs sit at the bottom end of the Premier League table after their opening five matches, accumulating just two points from a possible 15 despite executing a massive £300 million summer squad overhaul.
Following a 3-2 home defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend, speculation over De Zerbi’s long-term future in North London has escalated sharply. Speaking on talkSPORT’s Kick Off, former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy suggested the Italian manager could have as little time as the end of the upcoming international break to turn the club’s fortunes around.
Murphy boldly predicted a Premier League comeback for former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, with Daily Mirror journalist Darren Lewis backing Tottenham to act decisively.
“If Spurs are smart, they’ll get him,” Lewis insisted during the broadcast.
De Zerbi Under Fire for ‘Fragile Mentality’ Claims
In the aftermath of recent setbacks, De Zerbi pointed toward a lack of resilience and mental strength within his squad as the primary factor behind their winless stretch. However, Lewis firmly rejected that defense, placing accountability directly on the manager’s tactical setup and defensive organization.
“It’s deflected a little bit, this whole mentality thing, from the fact that De Zerbi has to be held accountable for where they are right now. And listen, I’m experienced enough to say, I don’t think he lasts a season. In terms of where Tottenham are, their inability to defend is on you. Their inability to score goals, to win games is on you. Their inability to come back when you go down, when you fall behind, it’s on you. What are you gonna do about it?”
Pochettino, who guided Tottenham to three consecutive top-three Premier League finishes and the 2019 Champions League final during his memorable five-year tenure between 2014 and 2019, is currently head coach of the United States national team. Although Pochettino recently signed a contract extension keeping him with the USMNT through 2030 following the 2026 World Cup, his emotional attachment to North London remains intact.
Earlier this month, Pochettino disclosed that Tottenham had made contact with him in March when the club was entangled in a relegation battle, but timing prevented a reunion due to his international commitments.
“If I were free, I would have gone back to Tottenham,” Pochettino admitted. “Even in the Championship. Whatever the division. Another club, no, but Tottenham, yes, of course. It’s the only club I’m always open to help.”
Pochettino added that “the timings were never the best,” noting:
“When I was free, I never received a contact and then when I was working, I received a contact and then I couldn’t make the decision to come back. It was a little bit unlucky. Maybe one day the stars will align and it will happen.”
With Tottenham facing a crucial away fixture against Manchester United at Old Trafford following the international hiatus, De Zerbi remains under intense pressure to secure his first league victory of the season and quell mounting talk of a managerial change.
