How the emotional Italian can fit in at Tottenham
Often when you change manager, it's not always about tactics, systems and formations, it's getting the right personality at the right time for that group of players.
Thomas Frank's voice at Tottenham seemed to be drowned out, he could not quite get his message across to the players or the supporters as their home form fell from a cliff.
A similar thing is happening with Brighton and Fabian Hurzeler.
At this point in time, Tottenham need an injection of life. Someone with personality and charisma to lift the players, the fanbase and get some energy into their shiny new stadium.
Former Brighton boss De Zerbi could well be that man and wouldn't you know it, he's just become available, having just left Marseille by mutual consent.
The 46-year-old Italian is not everyone's cup of tea but he does get a reaction and players buy into his methods. He is not always a long term option (which appointment is these days?) but he is capable of providing an instant bounce to lift Tottenham away from that drop zone. He's also experienced enough in the Champions League with Marseille and previously Shakhtar Donetsk.
De Zerbi’s success at Brighton
At Brighton - where he replaced Graham Potter - he guided them to a sixth placed finish, their highest ever in the Premier League. It saw them qualify for the Europa League for their first time in their history, where they finished top of a group that included Marseille, Ajax and AEK Athens.
He squeezed the maximum from his senior figures, while developing the youngsters such as Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo and the emerging Jan Paul van Hecke. He also didn’t mess around with players who gave the slightest hint of wanting to be elsewhere, or didn’t fully commit to his ways - just ask Leandro Trossard or Robert Sanchez.
Brighton’s Europa League adventure shuddered to a halt in Rome, where the Seagulls were hammered 4-0 by Roma at the Olympic Stadium. That was really the beginning of the end for Brighton and De Zerbi.
Their form tailed badly in the final final months of his tenure and tension between the board and De Zerbi grew. De Zerbi just did not have the patience for Brighton's buy low, sell high transfer policy and Tony Bloom eventually said, and I paraphrase here, ”Thanks Roberto but that's just how we do it.”
The inevitable exit came and the emotional Italian went to the south of France. He did though well and truly ruffle feathers at Brighton, which was good fun to report on, pleased certain fans but tested the patience of Brighton’s hierarchy.
De Zerbi is a rebel with cause
De Zerbi is still highly thought of by many fans at Brighton. He is a bit of a rebel with a cause, which can be an issue for a stable club such as Brighton.
A return to the Amex is unlikely and at this moment in time Tottenham seems a much better fit for him and the club.
The likes of Adam Lallana and Lewis Dunk have previously praised De Zerbi’s work. The training sessions are intense and the tactical stuff can be repetitive as they go through attacking phases time and time again. Practice makes perfect though and the results were there to be seen on match days, which then gets the buy-in from players.
His personality is polar opposite to Frank and that’s maybe just what Spurs need right now. De Zerbi brings good football and bundles of passion... it could just work, for a while at least.
Continue Reading