Roberto De Zerbi is set to take charge of his first game in charge of Tottenham Hotspur this weekend. They will face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League on Sunday.
Spurs desperately need points on the board, having managed just one in their last seven league games. However, they face a Sunderland side that has lost just thrice in 15 home games in the Premier League this season, with seven wins and five draws.
Tottenham ideally need three wins in their remaining seven league games, depending on their rivals. Hence, they will need to change a lot of things if they are to avoid the drop.
De Zerbi names the most ‘crucial’ thing for Tottenham
The Italian manager has had around a week of training with the available players and will get a couple more days before the game. Hence, he will have some time to inculcate his ideas into the players.
However, De Zerbi believes that more than anything, the mentality will be crucial for Tottenham in the relegation battle. In an interview on NBC Sports, he claimed that they need to build a “new mentality”, saying:
“In this moment, the mental part is crucial. I think, uh.. There are.. just seven games, and we have no time enough to give too much, and I don’t want to give too many instructions, new instruction. This team changed three coaches in this season and I think they have to build a new mentality. They have to consider a big opportunity these seven games.”
“We want to work in Premier League next season. And.. And I think we have the qualities enough to go out from this moment, but for sure, the mental aspect is the most important,” he added.
De Zerbi also asserted that he doesn’t want to give too many or too complicated instructions at the moment. He said that they need to play simple football to help keep Tottenham in the Premier League.
De Zerbi asserts simplicity is key for Tottenham
In the aforementioned interview, the Italian insisted that mentality is the most important aspect for the Spurs players. He added that he will look to allow these players to show their quality on the pitch. He believes that should be enough to help the north London side avoid relegation.
De Zerbi is known for playing attractive football, which is also highly technical and can be complex at times. Neal Maupay suggested that he would take time at Tottenham. The Italian, notably, failed to win any of his first five games in charge at Brighton.
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Currently, De Zerbi doesn’t have that amount of time and must get his ideas across to the players quickly. Hence, his focus on simplicity in training will bring optimism among the Tottenham fanbase. They will hope this optimism could also translate on the pitch and bring some rare wins, starting Sunday.
