Roberto De Zerbi in Tottenham is a matter of system and players’ adaptation to his system, which does not look great at all!
Srećko Šijaković Thomas Frank was a serious coach who brought structure, not tactics, and positioning, while De Zebi is tactical, posting, running and implementing his style.
Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham Hotspur F.C. will bring a possession-based system that builds from the back. He will introduce a style of football that may suit Tottenham the least and could leave fans frustrated.
This system is very difficult to implement, and Tottenham’s defenders—who are uncomfortable on the ball—along with attackers who struggle to retain possession, could create serious problems in the fight for points and survival.
Tottenham’s defenders are extremely insecure when playing out from the back. The midfielders are not well-profiled, and as a unit, they are not good at maintaining possession or winning one-on-one situations. The attack revolves around Richarlison, who often appears injured when the team needs him the most.
Tottenham could even face relegation.
Tottenham need a manager with a clear identity after major mistakes in recent appointments. They need someone with character who plays intelligent, winning football. De Zerbi fits that profile and is reportedly the club’s primary target.
However, the problem is that his style looks very difficult to apply to this Tottenham team. Their defensive structure is already fragile, and trying to build from the back could lead to complete collapse. They may struggle to progress the ball, and realistically, Tottenham could even face relegation.
The players are not suited to possession football. The lines are disorganised, and forcing this transition could cost De Zerbi his job. His aggressive style suggests that Tottenham’s management is not thinking clearly, as they are bringing in a long-term coach to fix a short-term survival crisis that could end with relegation. That would be a disaster for Tottenham and De Zerbi.
Igor Tudor was doomed to fail in Tottenham.
De Zerbi is the former manager of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.. However, that period is now in the past, and much has changed since then. Igor Tudor was brought in to save the season but was ultimately doomed to fail, as his system relied on vulnerable defensive lines, and he lost the support of the home crowd.
They were against Tottenham and their own stadium, which is an anomaly and degradation.
De Zerbi is known as a rigid coach, not a pragmatist, and someone who demands full control with little room for compromise. His time at Olympique de Marseille did not go well and ended unsuccessfully.
He now faces an extremely difficult task. Tottenham have made things even harder by appointing him after Tudor, expecting him to immediately save the team from relegation. If he fails, the club’s management should take full responsibility.
Thomas Frank was a serious coach who brought structure, not tactics, and positioning, while De Zebi is tactical, posting, running and implementing his style.
The core issue is this: Thomas Frank was a serious coach who brought structure, not tactics, and positioning, while Tudor was a temporary and ultimately failed solution. Now, a third manager is expected to either solve Tottenham’s problems—or completely collapse the project.
The responsibility now lies with De Zerbi, but these players have not changed during the break. Kevin Danso and Radu Drăgușin still struggle under pressure and are bad with the ball. The only difference now is that there is authority on the bench (De Zerbi) —something that was previously missing with earlier, poor managerial choices.
S. Šijaković
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