Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi is winless after five Premier League games this season.
Tottenham Hotspur made steep changes to their squad in the summer and backed Roberto De Zerbi in a bid to ensure that what happened last season never happens again. However, they entered the international break winless in the Premier League, collecting only two points from five games.
This has seen the North London club remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table. The early signs suggest that Spurs still have plenty of work to do to become competitive again in the top flight. If things don’t drastically improve, a third successive campaign in the bottom half of the table could once again be on the cards.
As a result, Roberto De Zerbi has seen his own future come into question once again, which could result in yet another managerial change at White Hart Lane. After securing survival on the final day of last season, the Italian was viewed as the right man to instil fight, drive, belief and quality in N17 to avoid another disastrous term. He was backed to the hilt in the transfer market, with the Lilywhites shattering their club transfer spending record.
Brighton respond to Tottenham’s interest over Fabian Hurzeler move
Despite the outside pressure, Tottenham’s hierarchy maintain full confidence in De Zerbi. That is not entirely surprising, as the 47-year-old earned credit for keeping the club in the top flight. However, it is no surprise to see the Italian coming under pressure and rumours swirling around his long-term future as Spurs boss.
Brighton and Hove Albion boss, the recent Arsenal slayer, Fabian Hurzeler has emerged as an option given Tottenham’s recent struggles. While he was questioned heavily last season, it seems as though the 33-year-old’s style of play is finally starting to click while simultaneously securing significant results for Brighton.
The Seagulls thrashed the champions Arsenal 3-0 at home in the Premier League, days after mounting an incredible comeback from 2-0 down to beat Manchester United 3-2 at Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup. His team also recently mauled newly-promoted Coventry City 5-0 away. No wonder Fabian Hurzeler has been nominated for Premier League manager of the month.
Amid rumours swirling around the young tactician, Football Insider transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke says Brighton have no interest in allowing Hurzeler to leave. The south coast club are delighted with the German manager and will not entertain talks about his departure.
He committed his long-term future at the Amex Stadium by penning a new contract in May until 2029, which was intended by the Seagulls to scare off any of Hurzeler’s potential suitors, but that hasn’t stopped Tottenham from monitoring the 33-year-old.
“It would take a lot for them to let him go any time soon, because Brighton do not want to lose Fabian Hurzeler,” Pete O’Rourke said on the Transfer Insider podcast (h/t Football Insider).
“He’s done a great job down on the south coast; he’s really made big strides at Brighton and helped the club make some real progress.
“Hurzeler is attracting a lot of attention because of what he’s done at Brighton with his aggressive style of football and an attacking style as well, so no surprise that maybe other clubs are looking at him.
“But Brighton are quite relaxed on this one, and he was rewarded for his progress with the new contract in May to keep him at the club until 2029.”
De Zerbi needs time to turn the tide around at Tottenham
Spurs are in all sorts of trouble early in the Premier League season. That said, it is also important to note that there is a mix of experience and youthful exuberance in the squad, and De Zerbi simply needs to find the right balance in his starting XI before the results start going their way in the coming weeks.
As things stand, the ex-Marseille boss is heavily scrutinised for failing to get a tune out of the squad after being backed heavily in the transfer window. The September international break could not have come at a better time for our gaffer, allowing him time to self-introspect and devise a plan that brings success from next month.
