Tottenham Hotspur have now been tipped for a Champions League push next season as Jamie O’Hara makes a rather bold claim about Roberto De Zerbi.
Roberto De Zerbi has certainly brought back some feel-good factor and belief to N17 after just four games in charge of Tottenham Hotspur.
It is not hard to see why, as he has already secured more victories this calendar year (2) than the last two Tottenham managers combined (0).
De Zerbi’s recent 2-1 win over Aston Villa has also lifted Spurs out of the relegation zone with three games remaining, as they continue their fight to avoid the drop to the Championship.
That result also marked the first time Tottenham have recorded back-to-back wins this season since doing so at the start of the campaign in August.
Tottenham tipped for Champions League push
Spurs are now the favourites, ahead of West Ham United, to avoid the drop according to Opta’s odds. Should that happen, it will not surprise many, given the Lilywhites’ form and their relatively kind fixtures compared to West Ham.
With Spurs out of the drop zone, Jamie O’Hara has now started to look ahead to what next season could hold for Tottenham, speaking on Sky Sports, where he outlined his belief in De Zerbi’s impact and ambitions for the club.
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O’Hara first spoke about De Zerbi’s influence and why he believes Spurs can be a threat next season, saying: “Now, we have got the manager, this manager Roberto De Zerbi can take this club I believe… well I think next season, if we stay up, I know this is a big statement, if we stay up with Roberto De Zerbi we will be dangerous next season. I think we will get Champions League football.”
Expanding on what he meant by Spurs being dangerous, he added: “Dangerous means we have got a proper manager in charge.”
When discussing whether Tottenham could find themselves in trouble again, O’Hara remained confident, stating: “I reckon we can get in the Champions League…”
He then dismissed suggestions of a more modest finish, adding: “What do you mean top ten… next season I think we get Champions League football. We will not have European football, listen I am saying all this, we have got to stay up, let us forget all that, we have got to stay up.”
Finally, on the jump from a relegation battle to a top-four push, he concluded: “He will get it right.”
Roberto De Zerbi belief is not without foundation despite the current fight
The Italian has signed a five-year deal and aims to see it out regardless of the division Tottenham find themselves in.
Nonetheless, there is no denying that Spurs and De Zerbi will prefer those years to be spent in the Premier League, as his task is to restore Tottenham to their best.
The talk of securing Champions League football is not far-fetched, given he managed a top-six finish with Brighton and Hove Albion in his first season in charge.
Indeed, if Spurs strengthen their squad and have no European football to contend with, he could reach those heights. However, as O’Hara stated, there is no need to get too far ahead, with plenty still to play for this season.