Tottenham are hoping to get back to winning ways in the Premier League under Roberto de Zerbi
Tottenham manager Roberto de Zerbi is already feeling the heat at N17 after his side’s dismal start to the new Premier League season. We are already five games into the new league campaign, and the Lilywhites are currently stranded at the bottom of the table with no wins and just two points on the board. As things stand, the Italian tactician is under tremendous pressure to steady the ship at Hotspur Way and bring the best out of his players in the coming weeks.
The ongoing international break could not have come at a better time for Spurs as De Zerbi looks for ways to turn things around at N17. After two dismal campaigns in which the Lilywhites finished 17th in the league table, a lot more was expected from De Zerbi’s men after the club found a way to back the manager in the transfer market. However, all the enthusiasm and optimism surrounding the club quickly disappeared as the North Londoners endured their worst-ever start to a Premier League season.
Roberto de Zerbi has not shied away from placing the blame on his players for failing to follow his instructions on the pitch. The Italian tactician has also made it clear that his players are not physically fit enough right now to deal with teams that tend to cover a lot of ground during matches. Therefore, this three-week international break would have been an ideal opportunity to get the players up to speed on the training pitch. However, the 47-year-old has instead opted to give his players one week off as part of their recovery plans.
Roberto de Zerbi needs time to turn the tide around at Tottenham
Tottenham are in all sorts of trouble early in the Premier League season. That said, it is also important to note that there is plenty of quality in the squad, and Roberto de Zerbi simply needs to find the right balance in his starting eleven before the results start going their way in the coming weeks. It is also important that the Italian tactician plays each player to their strengths and avoids a media outburst when things go wrong during certain matches.
Jamie Carragher has asked the Spurs faithful to remain patient with De Zerbi, claiming that the Italian tactician needs time to find the right combinations that could help the club start winning matches in the coming weeks. Speaking on the Jamie Carragher podcast (via Chris Cowlin), Carragher said,
“You really question not just the ability of the players, but the mentality. Tottenham have finished 17th two years running, and have won five games in 30. It shouldn’t be possible in this day and age because of the advantages the big clubs have financially, but the one worry for De Zerbi and Tottenham is that he is not shy in coming out and speaking publicly about his frustrations, and he’s already picked a couple of players out on the pitch and off-camera.”
The renowned pundit added,
“Now, I sometimes feel at times players are a little bit sensitive to that type of criticism, and supporters jump on it a little bit too much, but that’s only going to grow if those results continue, and if those results continue, eventually he will combust; that’s just his history. To turn a football club around of that size, it was going to take more than just bringing in players and buying players. They don’t want to hear it, but they’ve just got to be patient and wait.”
What next for Roberto de Zerbi at N17?
There is a serious “mentality” issue at Spurs as they look to recover from last season’s struggles. The players seem to put their heads down when things do not go right at N17, forcing Roberto de Zerbi to call out his squad for not showing enough fight throughout a game. Since the start of the new season, the Italian tactician has already called out Mathys Tel for his lack of basic understanding, before having a public outburst about Mateus Fernandes not performing well enough to warrant a place in the starting eleven.
As Jamie Carragher points out, De Zerbi needs to be careful with his words as the 47-year-old could end up losing the dressing room if the current trend continues. However, the renowned pundit has urged fans to remain patient with the Italian tactician, claiming that De Zerbi will understandably need some time to bring the best out of his players after splashing the cash on a major squad overhaul in the summer.
