Jones Knows Notebook: Is 17/2 for Spurs not to win another game this season worth a bet? | OneFootball

Spurs roll the De Zerbi dice

Appointing Roberto De Zerbi in a relegation scrap is like switching to a high-wire act without a safety net. Thrilling if it works, disastrous if it doesn't.

Is De Zerbi really what Spurs need right now?

Surely they need clarity, structure, and above all, points. De Zerbi offers philosophy, risk, and a learning curve. His teams can look like they're playing a different sport to everyone else, but that uniqueness comes with volatility.

And volatility, in a relegation scrap, is a dangerous currency. De Zerbi has a history of clashing with those around him - not ideal when calm decision-making is required in a crisis. There's a reason some of Europe's elite clubs have admired him from afar rather than taking the plunge.

A bold call that could backfire spectacularly

Spurs sit one point above the drop with seven games to go, having won just two of their last 22 Premier League matches. The situation is dire. But not drastic enough for them to mention the word "relegation" in any of their official statements or briefing to journalists regarding the appointment. "Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table," said De Zerbi.

This team is a relegation threatened team. It quacks like one.

The sample size of results is categorially big enough to make that a fair statement.

Putting your fingers in your ears and pretending all this noise about relegation isn't really there isn't going to help you now Spurs. Facing up to the situation would be a start.

De Zerbi is not a firefighter. He's an ideologue. A coach who demands his football be played his way: intricate build-up, risky possession, defenders splitting like atoms under pressure. I watched plenty of his Brighton up close and it was a beautiful and enthralling experience at times when it clicked.

But it rarely clicks overnight.

At Brighton, he didn't win any of his first five matches as players wrestled with his complex instructions. Time was his ally there. Time is something Spurs simply don't have.

Go further back and the warning signs flicker brighter when looking at other jobs he took over in mid-season. At Palermo in 2016, he lasted less than three months with one win in 13. At Benevento, he took a brave but ultimately doomed approach, failing to win any of his first nine games as they slid towards relegation.

Saturday 16 August, 12.30pm

Burnley

Back 1.02

Lay 1.03

Wolves

Back 1.02

Lay 1.03

West Ham

Back 2.24

Lay 2.28

Tottenham

Back 2.98

Lay 3

Nottm Forest

Back 7.6

Lay 8

Leeds

Back 8

Lay 8.2

Man City

Back 25

Lay 36

Crystal Palace

Back 270

Lay 400

However, Spurs are 17/2 with the Betfair Sportsbook to not win any of their remaining seven games.

On first glance that looks a tad short. Seven games, even a struggling team should stumble into a win, right?

Fixtures with Sunderland, Brighton, Wolves, Aston Villa, Leeds, Chelsea and Everton shouldn't be overly challenging for a team like Tottenham, right?

But this isn't a normal situation. This isn't a normal Tottenham team.

If this appointment goes wrong, it's not going to quietly fizzle out. It's going to unravel.

De Zerbi might be a brilliant coach in the right environment. This just doesn't feel like it.

17/2, it's the kind of price that screams small-stakes, high-drama interest.

Tottenham Premier League Remaning Fixtures

Sunderland (A) - 12 April

Brighton (H) - 18 April

Wolves (A) - 25 April

Aston Villa (A) - 2 May

Leeds (H) - 9 May

Chelsea (A) - 17 May

Everton (H) - 24 May

Now read our latest Premier League previews and tips.