On Tuesday, in their third managerial change of the season, Tottenham Hotspur hired manager Roberto De Zerbi to lead them out of their dire situation; 17th in the league and winless in 2026. De Zerbi’s previous romp in the Premier League was a successful stint at Brighton and Hove Albion, which he left in 2024 on the back of disagreements with the board. His exit at Marseille in February followed a similar pattern, as some sources said the relationship between him and his players completely broke down.
This then raises the question of why Tottenham decided to offer the Italian a five-year contract, when he has not stayed at any club for more than 3 years. Desperation certainly plays a part and one can only assume that De Zerbi had all the power during negotiations. The Guardian reported that the club were interested in De Zerbi after sacking Thomas Frank, but the Italian was not keen on taking over mid-season, preferring to wait until the summer. But Tottenham have slumped further since then under interim manager Igor Tudor, and now only 7 games remain for them to avoid relegation.
ALSO READ | What does it mean to be ‘Spursy’? Swedish parliament weighs in, mocks Tottenham Hotspur
De Zerbi has stepped in mid-season thrice before. On September 6 2016, he was hired by Italian side Palermo and was on the touchline just 4 days later. In his first 7 games, he picked up just 1 win, 2 draws and 4 defeats. The next year, newly promoted Benevento appointed him on 23 October, 2017. His first game came just 2 days after the appointment, a loss to Cagliari. His first 7 games were dismal, with 6 defeats and 1 draw. Brighton were next, blindsided by Graham Potter’s decision to leave for Chelsea. Appointed on 18 September 2022, his first game was 12 days later. In 7 games he managed 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats.
His reservation about taking over a club mid-season is well within reason, something Tottenham must have considered but ultimately decided was worth the risk. Simply put, De Zerbi’s tactics take a while to set in.
The aggressive style of play he employs is often described as “press-baiting.” De Zerbi favors a strategy centered on keeping possession, deep build-up play and high-risk passing, which frequently results in attacking sequences that are as brilliant as they are chaotic. However, this approach leaves his side vulnerable to counter-attacks, making the team particularly susceptible to conceding goals due to the significant number of players committed to the offensive phase.
This season Spurs have conceded the fourth most goals in the league, which means their new manager’s style is going to potentially cause more problems. The defensive duo of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have been prone to rookie mistakes, and the backline, mostly ravaged by injuries, has not displayed the capability to emulate this high-risk, high-reward system.
Story continues below this ad
FILE – Roberto De Zerbi’s previous romp in the Premier League was a successful stint at Brighton and Hove Albion. (PHOTO: AP)
According to Opta, his past two clubs, Brighton and Marseille both recorded the second most average possession in their respective leagues. Tottenham currently occupy 11th place among Premier League clubs. How fast he can instill these values into his new players is crucial as time is of the essence.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Brighton captain Dunk had opened up about the initial few weeks with the charismatic Italian at the helm. “If I am being honest, the first couple of weeks were horrendous … I wouldn’t say horrendous, they were baffling… basically don’t listen to the manager, wait for the translator to speak and you get there in the end.”
He continued, “Training changed dramatically…the first couple of weeks were a really hard transition… Roberto came in and it was a carnage two weeks.”
De Zerbi did things differently from Potter, and the players soon understood how to adapt. “The style of play, really. And when to release the ball. All our games now are about pressure, playing with opposition teams when they’re pressing high and pressing low… It probably looks scary when we pass around the six-yard box… but we know the idea of the pass or what we are gaining from it,” Dunk added.
Story continues below this ad
ALSO READ | How a tactical change and big win has eased Arne Slot’s life at Liverpool
Off the field, De Zerbi has been controversial for other reasons. Last year, he said Mason Greenwood has “paid in a strong way”, after the charges against him, including attempted rape, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, were dropped. He went on to say he “feels sad for what happened in his life.”
Multiple Spurs fan groups have spoken out against his hiring, including the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust, Women of the Lane, Proud Lilywhites, and SpursREACH. The Trust released a statement objecting to the signing, which raises “serious and far-reaching concerns.” They said his statements about Greenwood “will create a divide among supporters at a time when we all need to be pulling together to back the team.” On Friday, the Italian addressed the controversy in his first interview with the club, saying, “I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women or violence against anyone more broadly.”
Starting this new era on this note will be a sour pill to swallow for a Tottenham side in desperate need of immediate points, and De Zerbi has to be fully aware of the current circumstances. For Spurs to avoid the drop, he will have to find a short-term fix before hoping to imprint his style.
(Diya George is an intern with The Indian Express).
