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News
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The one hard-nosed manager Tottenham need to stay in the Premier League
Analysis
Igor Tudor is out at Tottenham Hotspur, and the club have not won a Premier League match since 28 December.
The team looks out of sorts, and the number of players who appear to fight for the badge each game could be counted on one hand.
Pundits have indicated that some players see their futures elsewhere, whether or not the club gets relegated, which only compounds the issues facing the club as it sits one point above the relegation zone with seven matches remaining.
That’s why Roberto De Zerbi is the man to take the helm for the rest of the season. Not for his tactics, which are some of the best in Europe, but because he will demand the maximum from the entire club in pursuit of its goal, which, at this point, is merely staying in the Premier League.
Why De Zerbi is the perfect interim candidate for Spurs
De Zerbi is notorious for wearing out his welcome at clubs, especially at Brighton, where he grew to disagree with owner Tony Bloom’s transfer strategy toward the end of his second and final season.
His demanding nature may have cost him in that instance, but for Spurs, it is exactly what the club needs.
The Italian could go into the job knowing that transfers are not an option, as long as he is appointed only for the remainder of the season.
Spurs’ tactics, and their players’ tactical awareness, have been the biggest issue this season. That has been shown in its two North London Derby defeats to Arsenal this season, in which Eberechi Eze has scored five of his six Premier League goals as Spurs allowed him acres of space on the edge of the box.
If there is any manager who can get the club back onside mentally and tactically, it is De Zerbi. He is known for his high standards, and while his Marseille tenure ended in a 5-0 defeat to PSG in which his defence was left exposed and the reigning Champions League winners ran riot, that result should not define him as a manager.
De Zerbi is not afraid to question his players’ effort and spark the dressing room by challenging the team’s leaders, which is exactly what Spurs need right now.
STATS
Dominic Solanke
F (C)
Tottenham
Dominic Solanke
F (C)
Tottenham
Captain Cristian Romero has not been up to standard in recent matches, and neither have Micky Van de Ven, Dominic Solanke, or Guglielmo Vicario. Some of that is due to Tudor’s chopping and changing of formation and lineup, but the players’ inconsistencies predate the recently departed manager.
If anyone can get the most out of a group in the span of seven matches, it’s De Zerbi.
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