Bobby Zamora backs Dominic Solanke to lead Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham attack
Tottenham Hotspur sit bottom of the Premier League, but Bobby Zamora is refusing to write off their season. The former Spurs striker believes the Dominic Solanke and Roberto De Zerbi partnership can still turn things around, once the head coach’s ideas properly take hold.
Zamora was speaking to football.london on behalf of Thunderpick about De Zerbi’s early months in north London. He is convinced the current struggles are a symptom of a system still being installed, rather than a squad short on quality up front.
“Roberto’s all about build-up, playing out from the back, fantastic patterns, and cutting through lines,” Zamora said, describing the Italian’s approach at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. That philosophy takes time to bring results in, and Zamora thinks the attacking rewards are still to come.
How Roberto De Zerbi’s tactics are taking shape at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Spurs dropped into the relegation zone after a 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa, and fell to the bottom of the table when Fulham drew with Manchester United. It is a harsh return so far for De Zerbi, but Zamora sees the groundwork for something better.
“The final third, which is the hardest part of the game to do, will be focused on at some stage,” he explained. “I think his fundamentals and basics are probably taking up a lot of the time in training; Solanke will thrive when everything is finally there.”
Zamora argues that defensive shape and build-up structure naturally come first under a new manager, with attacking patterns following once players trust the system. He pointed to Solanke’s lack of service as a symptom of that early phase, not a lack of quality.
“As a striker, you want to be scoring early, and you want to be in a positive mindset when the pressure falls on you to take one chance that drops to you in a game,” Zamora said. “There just haven’t been enough chances for Tottenham in general; I think that will come.”
Dominic Solanke’s goal record and the Richarlison dispute
The numbers behind Solanke’s start to the season explain some of the concern. He has scored just once in seven appearances across all competitions this term, with that goal coming against Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup second round at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in August.
Richarlison’s absence adds further weight to the debate around who leads the Tottenham line. He informed the club of his wish to leave late in the summer transfer window, following the summer squad changes at Spurs, and was subsequently left out of the Premier League squad. Last season he managed 11 goals and 4 assists in 32 Premier League appearances, and he now enters the final year of his contract, which carries a club option to extend by a further 12 months.
Zamora believes the rift with De Zerbi runs deep.
“Both the manager and, from what I can see, Richarlison, are fiery characters, so I don’t know if there’s any make-up to be done there and Tottenham may have to wait till January for him to go,” he said.
He went further on how the disagreement may have started.
“The way I see it is that his head was turned, and to be able to access a move with Roberto, he’s probably having a disagreement, and, ‘You want to go? Okay, off you go’.” Zamora does not expect a reunion. “Let’s say passionate conversations between those two may have happened just to work the way out for Richarlison as well, and maybe that’s what’s happened. I don’t think there’ll be a way back.”
Xavi Simons remains unavailable too, still sidelined until next year after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in April. That leaves De Zerbi light on attacking options, and increases the pressure on Solanke to deliver in Richarlison’s absence.
Crucial Manchester United clash awaits as Tottenham look to climb from bottom spot
Spurs face Manchester United immediately after the international break, a fixture that could shape the mood around the club for weeks either way. Zamora sees it as one of several early tests that will define how quickly De Zerbi’s Tottenham find their feet.
“Obviously, anybody who can score goals in the Premier League is important. So, he will be missed,” Zamora said of Richarlison. “But if he is, it’s a few months, and January will come around, and he may be able to get out the door, and with those funds, maybe somebody comes in.”
Until then, Zamora sees an opening for whichever striker seizes it.
“It’s down to one of those guys, one of the strikers, to take their opportunity and make their season, make them the number one choice,” he said of the competition between Solanke and Omar Marmoush.
“It’s a good opportunity currently for them to stake their claim. So, whoever jumps in, bags that first goal for them has a good chance of continuing in the side and making a really good season for themselves.”
Tottenham an finish in the top half
Despite the bottom-of-the-table start, Zamora remains bullish on where Tottenham can finish.
“I can see them finishing 10th, top half of the table, and then next season really kicking on,” he said. “They’ve obviously signed a lot of players, and all eyes are on them because of that as well, adding even more pressure to them. But I do think that there are elements, and I’m seeing bits and pieces of the game that do show me improvement.”
For Tottenham supporters, the Manchester United game is even more important with any loss resulting in severe scrutiny for Roberto de Zerbi. A response from Solanke, and from De Zerbi’s evolving side as a whole, would go some way to easing the pressure building at the bottom of the table.
