De Zerbi joins Spurs: five things he must do to ensure safety | OneFootball

Roberto De Zerbi was officially announced as Tottenham Hotspur’s new Head Coach today. In a statement on the club website, Spurs said the Italian had signed a ‘long-term contract’.

De Zerbi said: “I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world.

“In all my discussions with the Club’s leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters. I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it.”

With Spurs hovering one point above the drop zone, the immediate task is clear to the Brescian. He said: “Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season.”

Here are five things De Zerbi must do to ensure Spurs avoid playing Championship football next season.

Breed confidence

De Zerbi is inheriting a squad that is on their third manager of the season and yet to win a league game this calendar year. In fact, they have only won two league games since the start of November; it is no wonder that confidence is low at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Points on the white side of North London have been far too easy to come by for away teams, with relegation rivals Nottingham Forest and West Ham both winning there in the last few months.

The Forest game in particular was a blow for Spurs and the final act of the Igor Tudor reign. After going 1-0 down, it seemed inevitable that the away team would only add to their lead just as Crystal Palace had done a few weeks prior.

This is a squad that has been under the spotlight for their sub-par league performances for the last 18 months, which will undoubtedly have harmed their confidence. Addressing this will be one of the first things on De Zerbi’s to-do list.

Get his strikers firing

Both Richarlison and Dominic Solanke have experience in Premier League dogfights under previous employers. Richarlison was key for Watford and Everton in times of need and will be a major player in any De Zerbi-inspired revival. The same goes for Solanke, who will also be looking to make a last push for making Thomas Tuchel’s North American-bound plane.

Both have underperformed this season. Richarlison has nine goals and Solanke has managed just three goals in an injury-hit season. For two players that cost north of £100 million combined, that is simply not good enough.

Both must be looking to get on the scoresheet multiple times to help Spurs maintain their top-flight status.

Keep his squad fit

Now this is somewhat out of De Zerbi’s control, but ensuring that his remaining fit players stay in contention for the rest of the season will be crucial to any success.

Mohammed Kudus is expected to be back in mid-April and will help bring a creative spark that has been so missed by Spurs in recent times. Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison have not played a single minute of football this season and have been joined on the sideline by Solanke, Wilson Odobert, Yves Bissouma and more throughout the campaign.

Seeing some of the injured group return will be a huge boost to the new manager, but more importantly, he must not lose anymore players to the treatment room anymore.

Bring stability

Tudor’s time at Tottenham seemed fraught with instability. From goalkeeping changes to formation switches, it was clear he never worked out his best team.

De Zerbi must quickly find a group of players and a formation that will pick up points to ensure he is not a Championship manager next season. This may differ from what he utilises come August, if he is successful but a pragmatic and consistent approach will be imperative for the short-term success that he needs.

Connect with supporters

This may be one of the more difficult tasks for De Zerbi to complete, especially with fan groups opposing his appointment in the last week.

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust issued a statement following his unveiling as manager that said:

This comes as a reaction to De Zerbi’s public backing of former Manchester United player Mason Greenwood, whom he coached at Marseille.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been a volatile environment at various points throughout the season, with fans unhappy at the ownership and direction the club is heading. Supporters being opposed to this appointment for non-footballing reasons poses a further challenge for De Zerbi to overcome, one in which results may not be enough.