Tony Pulis has revealed what Roberto De Zerbi’s priority at Tottenham Hotspur should be if he wants to keep the club in the Premier League.
Some pundits believe that getting De Zerbi has been a coup for Tottenham, given that the club are in a relegation fight.
However, others are not convinced that the Italian is the right man to get Spurs out of trouble, even though he has proven his coaching credentials at the highest level.
Only time will tell if this proves to be an inspired appointment or another mistake by the Spurs hierarchy, and another experienced manager has now shot a warning to the new Tottenham boss.
Tony Pulis tells Roberto De Zerbi he needs leaders on the pitch at Tottenham
Pulis is no stranger to the demands of a relegation battle and knows what teams need to come out of them unscathed.
He has opined that while it is important for the new Tottenham boss to implement his style of football, it is even more crucial that the club’s leaders on the pitch step up at this time of crisis.
Pulis told BBC Sport: “Roberto de Zerbi has seven games left to turn things around and stave off relegation. He will not tolerate interference and will not stand for players who won’t do what he wants them to. If they fall short, they will be out.
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“De Zerbi’s identity as a coach is about free-flowing and forward-passing football, which fits Tottenham too – it is what their fans want – but without having strong characters and a bit of well-directed leadership on the pitch, that will not count when the going gets tough.
“Wherever I managed, having that kind of character in my team was always hugely important to me. I felt a sound base like that within the team gave even limited players a chance of being successful by getting results over the course of a long and demanding season.”
Pulis tells De Zerbi to leave no stone unturned in discovering leaders at Spurs
A lack of leadership on the pitch has arguably been one of Tottenham’s biggest shortcomings this season, with many of the big names failing to step up and lead by example.
Pulis believes that De Zerbi’s challenge is to collect all the relevant information on his players over the coming days to determine which of them can be his generals on the pitch.
The former Stoke City boss added: “To find out the character of these players, I would go through numerous routes to make sure the lad I was going to sign indeed had the right credentials.
“Watching them in away games was a must, for example. So was speaking to their former coaches or managers – and players who had played with them.
“Off the field, I’d try to put a picture together too. Did they go out a lot? Were they married? The whole process would be as thorough as I could make it. I should add that it did not always go to plan!
“Spurs cannot sign anyone now to change things, so instead their players have to step up and show they have the ability to scrap it out and remain a Premier League side. If they are not up for the fight, they are going down.”