Tottenham winners and losers: Good news for Xavi Simons but Roberto De Zerbi could drop defender | OneFootball

Spurs have taken one final gamble by appointing Roberto De Zerbi as head coach in bid to avoid relegation

Tottenham have appointed Roberto De Zerbi as manager in a last-ditch attempt to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

De Zerbi has signed a long-term contract at Spurs, but his immediate priority will be to ensure the club do not slip into the Championship.

Tottenham are 17th in the Premier League table, just one point above the relegation zone after former interim manager, Igor Tudor, failed to win any of his five league games in charge.

With a huge task ahead of him, Standard Sport assessed three potential winners and losers from De Zerbi’s appointment…

Winners

Xavi Simons

The Dutch midfielder never earned Tudor's trust, failing to start any of Spurs’ last three league games despite being the side’s only fit and available creative outlet.

Xavi Simons, as he demonstrated with a spectacular goal during Spurs’ 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid, is a player capable of taking charge of games.

So, with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski not yet close to returning from injury, De Zerbi needs to get the best out of the former RB Leipzig man.

Xavi Simons should benefit from a change of system under Roberto De Zerbi

REUTERS

Tudor made a point of criticising the commitment of some of Spurs’ squad, with his sidelining of Simons feeling indicative of his comments.

Under De Zerbi, though, there is a place for Simons as the lone attacking midfielder in his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, and a new manager could provide fresh impetus for the 22-year-old.

Cristian Romero

Suspension meant Cristian Romero never really got the chance to make his mark under Tudor as Spurs’ season spiralled out of control.

Much has been made of the Argentine’s propensity to let his team-mates down with his decision-making, having missed six games through suspension this season.

However, the arrival of De Zerbi could be the catalyst for Romero’s redemption, with the Spurs captain admitting he remains committed to helping keep Spurs in the Premier League, while acknowledging that the club’s situation has not been easy for him to handle.

Spurs conceded 13 goals in five league games under Tudor, and while Romero returned to the side for the 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, his influence should help to shore up the side’s leaky defence.

Lucas Bergvall

Lucas Bergvall has endured a frustrating second season at Spurs, with injuries limiting him to just ten league starts.

The Swedish midfielder did, though, make his long-awaited return from an ankle injury against Forest, and he will be hoping to make a good first impression on De Zerbi.

Bergvall’s energy and ability to stretch the play in behind will appeal to De Zerbi, who likes his midfielders to be mobile, and the Italian could look to the 20-year-old to bridge the gap between defence and attack.

Lucas Bergvall has been a shining light for Tottenham this season

AFP via Getty Images

A key reason behind Spurs’ struggles this season has been their inability to progress the ball through the middle of the pitch, with an over-reliance on getting the play wide to cross into the box.

Bergvall will help to remedy that issue, with his energy in the press and ability to make runs off the ball, making Spurs a more dynamic and unpredictable team.

Joao Palhinha

There is no doubting Joao Palhinha’s effort or commitment this season, and he has often unfairly been a lightning rod for criticism.

That said, the Portuguese midfielder is not someone who appears to fit the profile for what De Zerbi wants from his midfielders.

An archetypal destroyer in the centre of the park, Palhinha has completed far and away the most tackles of any Spurs player this season.

Odd man out: Joao Palhinha

John Walton/PA Wire

His deficiencies in possession, though, have contributed to Spurs’ flat performances, and De Zerbi will likely want more attacking intent from his midfielders as he tries to get Spurs playing on the front foot.

Randal Kolo Muani

It was thought that Randal Kolo Muani would benefit from the appointment of Tudor, with the pair having previously worked together at Juventus.

His equaliser against Arsenal in Tudor’s first game in charge then appeared to suggest he could take on a new lease of life after a difficult start to his Spurs career.

The 27-year-old, though, failed to build on that performance and was left on the bench in the following weeks as Dominic Solanke and Richarlison earned the trust of Tudor.

Tudor tried to find a place for Kolo Muani in his side, but was ultimately left frustrated, and De Zerbi’s preference for operating with a lone striker means he will have to work hard to force his way into contention for minutes.

Djed Spence

Djed Spence has been one of the few players Spurs have been able to rely on this season.

However, with Destiny Udogie returning from his latest hamstring injury, the versatile England full-back looks set to drop out of the side.

Spence has done well to resurrect his Spurs career over the last 18 months, but his performances have dipped recently, and with Udogie a more natural fit at left-back, De Zerbi is likely to look to his fellow countryman to make Spurs a more dynamic attacking threat.

Djed Spence’s form has dipped in recent weeks

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Spence is typically a right-back, but has found minutes there hard to come by with Pedro Porro ahead of him in the pecking order.

There appears to be no space for the 25-year-old in De Zerbi’s team, and he will have to work hard to keep himself in the hunt for a place in England’s World Cup squad.