Tottenham have announced their third head coach this season as Roberto De Zerbi signed a long-term contract with the hope of rebuilding a team in desperate need of quality and motivation.
In their history, Tottenham have been synonymous with playing dominant, possession-based, and exciting football.
They did so under Ange Postecoglou when he had most of his players available. However, they brought in Thomas Frank to replace him last summer, who brought in defensive and passive football to the club.
Following a brief interim spell with Igor Tudor, Spurs now hope to return to an exciting, possession-based football under De Zerbi.
The Italian has received praise for his playing style from numerous managers, including Pep Guardiola.
Pep Guardiola wowed by De Zerbi
Guardiola is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time. He revolutionized modern football with tiki-taka at Barcelona and popularized numerous unique combinations at Manchester City.
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Hence, when he labels another manager “unique”, it is high praise. In May 2023, Guardiola said that the then-Brighton manager De Zerbi is “one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years”. He added:
“There is no team playing the way they play – it’s unique. I had the feeling when he arrived the impact he would have in the Premier League would be great – I didn’t expect him to do it in this short space of time.
“He creates 20 or 25 chances per game, better by far than most opponents. He monopolises the ball in a way it hasn’t been for a long time. They deserve completely the success they have.”
Guardiola even claimed that he learned from De Zerbi’s teams, adding:
“If you don’t play at a high level, he can do whatever he wants against you. They completely deserve the compliments and the success that they have. It’s one of the teams that I try to learn a lot from; it’s unique.”
Notably, Guardiola has never lost in his four clashes against De Zerbi, winning thrice and drawing once.
De Zerbi’s playing style could also be a bane for Tottenham
Tottenham fans are keen on returning to an attractive, dominant, and attacking playing style in the long run. However, their current focus is on avoiding relegation by any means necessary. Hence, a technical playing style could become a bane if not implemented quickly enough.
Moreover, the technical level of the Tottenham squad is low. They also don’t have a pass-first midfielder like an Adam Wharton or Angelo Stiller, which is crucial for De Zerbi’s style. Hence, the Italian will have to try to play his style of football but adjust it to the players he has at his disposal.
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Tottenham have just seven games remaining this season and are one point above the relegation zone. De Zerbi will likely get around 10 days of training before his first game against Sunderland on April 12. It will be interesting to see if he can get his ideas across to the players in that time.
