Roberto De Zerbi could be set to become Ange Postecoglou 2.0 at Tottenham Hotspur when it comes to his style of play.
The outspoken Italian is reportedly set to be confirmed as Spurs boss following the departure of Igor Tudor on Sunday.
De Zerbi left Marseille earlier this year and now poised for a return to the Premier League, having previously guided Brighton to Europa League qualification in 2023.
Across his managerial career, the 46-year-old has built a reputation not only for his systematic approach, but also for his forthright and, at times, confrontational nature – something that has contributed to previous departures.
That has not gone unnoticed among the Tottenham fanbase. Concerns over his off-field stance, including his handling of the situation involving Mason Greenwood in France, have led to mixed reactions. On the pitch, though, his approach remains beyond doubt.
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Roberto De Zerbi and Ange Postecoglou’s Premier League record
Stylistically, De Zerbi and Postecoglou are the closest match when the recent appointments of Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor are considered.
After an extremely poor season, higher-ups within the club will be looking to replicate the football put on show by the Australian during his first season at the helm, with the incoming Italian maintaining one of the Premier League’s most distinctive tactical identities during his time on the South Coast.
Replacing Graham Potter at the Amex in 2022, De Zerbi took the league by storm with his style of play, with the Seagulls playing some of the best football in the Premier League, earning a European spot as a just reward at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
With his time in the league also overlapping with Postecoglou’s Tottenham stint, De Zerbi echoed statements similar to the popular Aussie when discussing his football ideas – echoing those made by the then-Lilywhites boss.
“Tottenham are a very good team with a clear idea of how they want to play,” De Zerbi previously said. “I like teams that are brave with the ball… that want to dominate.”
Brighton would end the 2022-23 season in sixth, having scored 72 league goals – only bettered by Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Though, for all the temptation of returning to the free flowing football seen during Postecoglou’s early days, it cannot be ignored that the pair could not be more different as people.
Tottenham risk returning to square one with Roberto De Zerbi appointment
For all the stylistic appeal, the bigger concern for Spurs is whether appointing the Italian would simply reset the cycle that they have been stuck in for years.
His track record shows a coach capable of delivering an immediate impact, but the fact that his longest tenure of three years came half a decade ago at Sassuolo is a big red flag.
Throughout his time at Brighton and Marseille, he had a big tendency to throw his toys out of the pram when things did not quite go his way, bringing down members of the squad with him as he practically talked his way out of his most recent job in France.
As a club, Spurs have jumped from one project to another since the departure of Mauricio Pochettino in 2019, and it feels that once again, there is no real long term value to an appointment.
De Zerbi’s rather confrontational and combustible style, combined with a hierarchy that has shown instability for far too long, is simply a recipe for disaster.
The temptation is there to move for ‘Postecoglou 2.0’, but that would come in style of play only. He would improve Spurs in the short-term – his football is brave, and he won’t stand for low standards.
But the club could once again, simply find themselves back at square one moving forward.