Roberto De Zerbi identifies two key stars in Tottenham relegation battle | OneFootball

New signings have struggled since arrivals in north London

Gallagher has struggled for form since joining Spurs in a £35million deal from Atletico Madrid in January, and played just six minutes off the bench during their 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Brought in as cover for Rodrigo Bentancur after he suffered a serious hamstring injury, Spurs’ season was already spiralling out of control when Gallagher arrived in north London.

Spurs had won just one of their last seven games in all competitions when they announced Gallagher’s arrival, but it has only got worse since, and the 26-year-old is still waiting for his first league win.

Following the appointment of De Zerbi, Gallagher has now worked under three different managers in a little under three months, and he will be hoping it is a case of third time’s a charm.

Thomas Frank initially had to be convinced of Gallagher’s signing by sporting director Johan Lange, while he fell out of favour with Igor Tudor.

De Zerbi, though, is a fan of Gallagher’s, having tried to sign him while at Brighton, and he says he is committed to helping the former Chelsea midfielder adapt after a difficult start to his Spurs career.

“I think for Gallagher it's not so easy because he left Chelsea after I don't know how many seasons,” De Zerbi said when asked how he could get more out the Englishman.

“He was a leader at Chelsea, and now he has to adapt to a new club, to new teammates, to a new stadium, to a new everything.

“I have to help him to [replicate] the Gallagher at Chelsea.”

Xavi Simons has also struggled to make an impact since his big-money move from RB Leipzig last summer.

The Dutch midfielder has shown sparks of creativity, but has reserved his best moments for the Champions League, and was routinely left on the bench by Tudor during his disastrous seven-week spell in charge.

The La Masia graduate is lacking confidence but has proven himself capable of taking hold of games in the final third.

Simons has produced the most big chances of any Spurs player in the Premier League, and De Zerbi knows that with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski yet to play this season, he simply has to get the best out of the 22-year-old.

“[There are] two parts [to getting the best out of Simons and Gallagher],” the Spurs boss said.

“One part, the focus on the ball, on the pitch, to put them in their best position, and the mental part.

“We have very big players, young players, [Lucas] Bergvall, Archie Gray, Mathys Tel, Simons, but we have older players that are very important.

“[Micky] Van de Ven is a crucial player for me, like Romero, like [Pedro] Porro, like [Dominic] Solanke. I want to see again the same Gallagher I loved at Chelsea.

“I think I'm lucky because I have a big confidence in my players, their qualities and for me, my target is to help them to play well, because their characteristics are very clear for me.”