It’s been a turbulent few days for Tottenham Hotspur as they parted company with Thomas Frank.
The 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the Dane, with Spurs languishing in 16th place in the Premier League standings.
Frank oversaw just 13 wins from 38 games across all competitions during his dismal eight months in charge of the club after replacing Ange Postecoglou, who departed after leading the club to UEFA Europa League glory.
TalkSPORT mention Roberto de Zerbi as a potential successor, with the mercurial Italian recently leaving Marseille by mutual consent.
And now, it appears as if Tottenham might have to wait a bit longer if they decide to appoint the former Marseille man.
De Zerbi not willing to jump straight back into management
While Frank failed to win over the Tottenham fans with his brand of football and charisma, De Zerbi managed to do just that at Marseille and was held in high regard by everyone close to the club.
However, things quickly unravelled for the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss as Marseille lost ground in the Ligue 1 title race and were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League group phase.
Earlier this week, he left the club by mutual consent and the timing of it could not have been better for Tottenham, who sacked Frank a few hours after De Zerbi’s departure.
However, Sky Sports’ Michael Bridge reports that the Italian has no intention of jumping straight into a job despite Tottenham’s interest, as he wants to take a break to refresh after a gruelling spell in France.
Would De Zerbi suit Tottenham?
The short answer is a resounding yes. De Zerbi plays an attractive brand of football, widely using a 4-2-3-1 during his spells with Sassuolo, Brighton and most recently, with Marseille.
He has also developed a reputation for taking youngsters to the next level, with Mason Greenwood a recent example of a player who has exploded to superstardom under his tutelage.
Most importantly, he is a strong character who has the personality to go toe-to-toe with the club’s hierarchy. While that could well be a double-edged sword, Tottenham need someone like him to breathe new life into the club as they’ve lost the feel-good factor they once had under Mauricio Pochettino.
He has also been there and done it in the Premier League, so his tactics have clearly worked in England.
Tottenham’s squad is far from perfect, but they currently have a lot of young players who could benefit from a coach of his calibre.
However, if Tottenham decide De Zerbi is their man, they might have to appoint an interim coach for the time being as he clearly intends to take a break before returning to the touchline.
