In the aftermath of the defeat at the Stadium of Light, De Zerbi raised eyebrows by suggesting that his tactical input might not be the primary requirement for a squad currently lacking in confidence. Despite his new team languishing down in 18th in the table, the former Brighton and Marseille boss insisted that the players' technical ability is not the issue.
"I can be a big brother, father, they don't need a coach," De Zerbi told theBBC. "They don't need to improve football. They can play better and they will play better once we reach a different level of confidence. My work is not so much on the pitch because they are good guys and I am sorry for them. I want to give them confidence in what they need."