After steering us to Premier League safety following his arrival with seven games to go last term, our Head Coach is now getting stuck into his first pre-season at Hotspur Way with a number of fresh additions to the playing squad.
All six summer recruits so far – Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Martin Dubravka, Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali – bring personality, quality and, importantly, proven experience in the English top-flight division and Roberto has been very encouraged by the activity in the transfer market – which he says is not over yet.
“I feel very good because we are working well,” the Italian told SPURSPLAY.
“I think we are building a very good team, with some very important new players, and we starting the project in another part of the history of the club.
“I spent a lot of time (understanding the club) before joining in April and I knew very well the ideas of the owner of the club and the plan was clear before the Everton game.
“Now we are inside (the project), we are excited with the idea to build a very strong team. Now we have to finish as it's not finished yet, our transfer market, in and out, but at the moment I’m very happy, very proud and very positive.
“To build a soul, to build a new team with the qualities for sure but with soul, with passion, with all the values we have. Football now is not just on the pitch, it's not just with the ball, it's before in the private life, it's how many hours during the day you think you’re doing your job and they have to be happy and proud to stay in Tottenham.
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“Of course, Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Senesi, Robertson, JP van Hecke, all of them are very important as qualities of the players, for sure, but first of all as a quality and level of the person.”
Joining the club on a long-term contract on 31 March, Roberto believed in the club’s project and future ambition despite the precarious league position at the time and helped retain our Premier League status with 11 points from the remaining seven games.
Focusing more on the psychological aspects - togetherness, character and fight – rather than principles of play to turn things around, the league run-in showed the spirit is there within the group – and the fanbase – and now our Head Coach feels a big responsibility to improve the quality of play in order to compete at the other end of the table to make our supporters proud.
“Last season, I think we reached the target showing character, showing the right spirit,” he explained. “Now we have to push in the style of play, the quality of the play and the organisation.
“It was totally different because the seven games at the end of the season you have no time. It’s not the right way to push too much the principles of play.
“Now we have time, we have everything in the right way, right place and the right position to work and to become better and better and better in the quality of play.
“I think Tottenham deserve to compete for the top of the Premier League. I know very well the Premier League is very tough but if you have a good motivation inside of the players, a good organisation on the pitch and outside of the pitch, I think you work well and at the end you reach your target.
“I feel a big responsibility because they (the fans) loved me at the beginning in my time at Tottenham and it is a pleasure to be Tottenham coach. At the same time, I feel responsibility to give results, to give pride when they are in the stands and when we are on the pitch and to build a great Tottenham.”