Tottenham are on the verge of appointing their third manager this season. With relegation on the horizon, they hope Roberto De Zerbi can save them.
Tottenham have had five permanent managers and multiple interim managers in the last seven years and are on the verge of signing their sixth. With a clear lack of direction and mismanagement, they are now just a point above the relegation zone.
After Thomas Frank’s sacking in February, they hired Igor Tudor as an interim manager. The Croatian is known as a short-term specialist, denoted by his work at the likes of Lazio or Juventus.
However, he’s left as well, and they appear to be going the long-term route, hiring Roberto De Zerbi.
Things could get worse for Tottenham before improving
With seven games remaining in the season, Spurs are hoping that De Zerbi will be able to make a quick impact. They have just one point in their last seven games and need at least 10 from their next seven.
However, the Italian isn’t known to be a quick starter. Moreover, his playing style could confuse players, as was detailed by Lewis Dunk in 2023. The centre-back said (h/t Football Insider):
“If I am being honest, the first couple of weeks were horrendous. I wouldn’t say horrendous; they were baffling. The first meeting when he went in, I was so confused – who to look at, what to listen to, and you slowly pick up.”
“Basically, don’t listen to the manager, wait for the translator to speak and you get there in the end. Training changed dramatically, we worked on a lot of different stuff and the first couple of weeks were a really hard transition.”
Also Read: How Tottenham Hotspur could line up under Roberto De Zerbi
Dunk compared De Zerbi to their former head coach, Graham Potter, and added:
“We were fourth in the league when Graham (Potter) left and we were flying with him and it was a strange time for him to go and then Roberto came in and it was carnage for two weeks.”
Notably, De Zerbi managed just one draw and four defeats in his first five games at Brighton. A similar pattern at Tottenham will definitely see them get relegated.
De Zerbi recovered well at Brighton
After a poor start, De Zerbi did end up doing decently at Brighton. He managed them for 89 games across competitions and managed 38 wins, 20 draws, and 31 defeats. He had a points-per-game of 1.51, which is higher than what Ange Postecoglou and Frank had at Tottenham.
Dunk, meanwhile, made 79 appearances under De Zerbi and became a key player under him. He also recorded six goals and one assist in that time.
However, Tottenham currently need a quick fix if they are to avoid relegation. While they might see De Zerbi as a long-term manager, he is likely to leave if they drop to the Championship.
