How to fix Tottenham: Start by selling Cristian Romero, and follow this blueprint | OneFootball

Thomas Frank had called the task at Tottenham akin to turning around a supertanker. Instead, Spurs almost sank. Roberto De Zerbi just about kept them afloat in the Premier League. The non-executive chairman Peter Charrington was nonetheless compelled to write an open letter to supporters saying their last two league finishes were “not acceptable”. He didn’t mean the fourth place they occupied at the end of the Champions League’s league phase.

Seventeenth again, ole, ole? Spurs could celebrate survival on Sunday whereas, with the bottom three distanced last season, their finishing position felt academic. That could have been called a one-off – and did seem to be when Frank’s team were among the early-season pacesetters – whereas now the first target could be summed up in two words: never again.

De Zerbi’s job feels physical and psychological; his tactics, both on and off the field, and transfers can influence it. Over the last two seasons, Spurs have lost 47 games, 39 of them in the Premier League. Ange Postecoglou needs to shoulder some of the blame: losing became a habit on his watch. They need to shed the culture of defeats; in particular, after just three victories in their last 22 home league games, they need to rediscover the habit of winning at their deluxe stadium.

open image in gallery

Cristian Romero should be the first Spurs players out the door (Getty)

They could do with keeping their players fit, too. One table Spurs did top was the number of days footballers lost to injury. That cannot all be chalked up to misfortune and was a reason why, despite having one of the largest squads in the division, they seemed to have one of the smallest. They were often short of options in key positions.

De Zerbi provided a sure hand at the tiller of the supertanker, but Tottenham suffered from a crisis of leadership; and not just Frank’s flailing attempts to prevent being dragged under water or Igor Tudor’s appearance, as the ‘ferryman’ of Serie A looked more like the captain of the Titanic. Cristian Romero was an awful choice as skipper, his sendings-off and suspensions, injuries and interest in the Argentinian fixture list meant he often led by the wrong sort of example.

The January interest in Andy Robertson was instructive, especially as Spurs have three left-backs, in Destiny Udogie, the versatile Djed Spence and the winter arrival Souza. The Scotland captain is expected to go to N17 – which carries the assumption De Zerbi shares the interest in a deal proposed before his arrival – and would look the obvious candidate for the armband; the love for him at Liverpool spoke to his character. James Maddison, a galvanising force even when semi-fit at the end of the season, could make a fine deputy to him.

As for Romero, he should be sold. For all his undeniable ability on the ball, while he excelled in the Europa League triumph, Spurs may be better off without him. The suggestions are that another Argentinian, Marcos Senesi, is headed to replace him, fresh from a fine season with Bournemouth and on a free transfer.

It appears, too, that De Zerbi is interested in a host of his former Brighton charges, in goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, midfielder Carlos Baleba and centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke, with John Stones an alternative possibility as a ball-playing defender. A complication and a consequence might be that Tottenham could need to reduce the size of their squad and bring in money.

open image in gallery

(PA)

In Charrington’s letter, he promised to build a squad to compete at the highest levels in England and Europe and spend in multiple windows. The books could also have to balanced. Consecutive 17th-place finishes bring far lower Premier League income than anticipated and they will not be in Europe next season. Fans have often bemoaned their famously low wages-to-turnover ratio. It has led to accusations Spurs have not invested in the squad. Yet they have spent about £700m in the last four years; they made a pre-tax loss of £121m last season. They could owe over £250m in transfer fees.

So a clearout is required, especially given this is an underachieving team. Guglielmo Vicario is one possible departure, especially after Antonin Kinsky overcame his traumatic trip to Madrid to end the season in fine form. The Czech’s passing skills make him seem a better fit for a De Zerbi team. If Robertson arrives, the injury-prone Udogie could be the logical left-back to leave. The out-of-contract Ben Davies, a loyal servant but another who has been sidelined, might also go. With the highly-rated Luka Vuskovic earning a place in the Bundesliga team of the season while on loan at Hamburg, there are reasons to bring him back and sell Radu Dragusin.

Further forward, Randal Kolo Muani’s unsuccessful loan offers no grounds to buy him. But Joao Palhinha, whose winner against Everton kept Spurs up, provides more of a dilemma. Bought as a destroyer, the Portuguese provided important goals and wants to turn his loan into a long-term deal. Yet Spurs already have a host of workmanlike midfielders, even with the out-of-contract Yves Bissouma another possible departure.

A problem for the three managers this season was that their side had too little creativity. Much of that could be chalked up to injury, with neither Maddison nor Dejan Kulusevski starting a game, Mohammed Kudus’ campaign being curtailed in January and then Xavi Simons rupturing his cruciate ligament in April.

open image in gallery

Maddison could be like a new signing for Spurs – if they address their fitness and injury issues (PA Wire)

The Dutchman will miss a chunk of next season. De Zerbi nevertheless faces a decision which of his flair players to prioritise and how to accommodate them. A season where Palhinha was the second top scorer in the Premier League and Micky van de Ven the joint second best in all competitions suggests Spurs could do with more firepower from the forward line. That might not be cheap. At least De Zerbi’s preferred style of play, attacking and ambitious, seems in Tottenham’s truest traditions.

And the Italian could suddenly be in an advantageous position. A manager who can use time on the training ground to alter a style of play and whose sides can overwhelm opponents when fitter and fresher will have no Europe, perhaps only 40 games. Tottenham may only need a relatively small pool of players next season, if they can keep them fit, make the right choices in the transfer market and selection.

Brighton played 46 in 2022-23 and, with no one who could really be called a De Zerbi signing, he steered them to sixth. There was the risk Tottenham would play 46 next year in the Championship alone. Charrington’s promise to get them back where they belong was a recognition at boardroom level that Spurs had lost their way. But at least, when they did, they were not found in the Football League.