Tottenham Hotspur have been in disarray all season, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. They announced Igor Tudor’s departure on Sunday and are now looking to appoint their third manager this season.
Around 10 months after breaking their 17-year trophy drought, Tottenham are just one point above relegation. They haven’t won a single domestic game in 2026, with their last Premier League win coming on December 28 against Crystal Palace.
With just seven games to go, Spurs are in a precarious position. They desperately need a manager, interim or permanent, who could help them find some elusive wins and save them from relegation.
Tottenham should stay away from Roberto De Zerbi
The north London side will next face Sunderland away on April 12. They are hoping to bring in a head coach soon to give them 7-10 days of training with the players.
They have been heavily linked with Roberto De Zerbi for the permanent job, but the Italian doesn’t appear to be a good fit.
Volatile figure
Tottenham have some really good players in the squad, who need a big confidence boost, good tactical acumen, and simple football. Can one expect a character like De Zerbi, who fell out with some of his players at Marseille, like Ismael Kone, to form a good relationship with the squad? He also needs to do it within 7-10 days if they are to stay up.
Moreover, De Zerbi has also fallen out with the hierarchy at both Brighton and Marseille, who are arguably much more stable than Tottenham at the moment. The last thing a volatile club like Spurs currently needs is a volatile manager.
Tactically unfit for current squad
Tactically, De Zerbi largely plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, which would work at Spurs, especially after the return of Mohammed Kudus. However, the Italian’s style is famously based on baiting the press from the opposition and playing through the middle with quick passing.
One of the biggest issues in Tottenham’s current squad is the lack of a pass-first midfielder. While the likes of Archie Gray, Pape Sarr, and Lucas Bergvall are good midfielders, expecting them to learn the intricacies of De Zerbi’s system in such a short time is unwise.
While Cristian Romero and Pedro Porro are excellent passers, the risk-to-reward ratio doesn’t seem appropriate given the urgency of the situation.
Also Read: Dejan Kulusevski reveals exactly when he’ll return to action – it could be bad news for Tottenham
Moreover, the north London side will face the likes of Sunderland, Everton, and Wolves in their final seven games, who are unlikely to push out for a bait press. This highlights another squad issue: a lack of fit players who can consistently unlock a low block unless the system enables them.
The Mason Greenwood situation
Many Spurs fans are also against hiring De Zerbi for his defence of Mason Greenwood, who previously faced sexual assault charges, at Marseille. Some of the Tottenham fan groups have started the ‘No To De Zerbi’ campaign for this reason.
Not only was the former Brighton manager involved in signing Greenwood, but he also often defended him and even expressed his sadness at what he apparently went through. A club like Tottenham cannot and should not be involved with such a person.
To add to all these factors, reports suggest that De Zerbi doesn’t even want to join Tottenham at the moment and is waiting until the summer to make his decision.
While he might end up accepting if the club gives him the big bucks and a relegation clause in his contract, it would be unwise to hire someone who already has an exit plan.
