The Dutch defender acknowledged that while the new head coach wants to implement a brave, possession-based philosophy from the back, the current predicament allows for very little margin for error. Van de Ven believes the mental burden of their winless streak is weighing heavily on a group that needs to build belief rapidly.
Speaking to Sky Sports about the difficulty of adjusting to De Zerbi’s specific demands under intense pressure, Van de Ven explained: “Every manager has their own opinion of the game and Roberto wants us to play out more from the back. That's what he asked. He wants us to play with confidence and that is what we need to build but we don't have a long time left. We need to do it now. You don't want to look at the other results and just need to win. You can't say you don't look at the other team. Six games left to get as many points as possible. There is pressure now as we are in the relegation zone but we need to make sure we get out of this situation.”
Despite glimpses of De Zerbi’s attacking intent, Spurs are currently enduring a historically poor 14-game winless start to the calendar year. Only Derby in 2008 (18), Sunderland in 2003 (17), and Swindon Town in 1993 (15) have suffered longer winless runs to begin a Premier League year, with all three clubs eventually relegated in those campaigns.
Reflecting on the squad's psychological state and the frustration of their ongoing struggle to secure a result, Van de Ven added: “I don't even think we played a bad game today, we created some opportunities to score and they didn't create much. That is the moment we are in, everything doesn't fall on our side. At the final whistle, it's really tough. Mentally, it's tough. We have been suffering for the last few months when we don't get wins in the Premier League and keep struggling. We need to get the confidence back. It's really tough, we need to make sure we find this back.”