Roberto De Zerbi will need to make an instant impact at Tottenham to save the club from relegation
Roberto De Zerbi was credited with making an immediate impact at Brighton in a boost to hopes he can steer Tottenham Hotspur clear of the drop.
The Italian signed a five-year deal at the north London club earlier this week to replace Igor Tudor, with Spurs at the centre of a relegation dog-fight with just seven Premier League games to go this season.
With Spurs sitting 17th in the table and just one point and one place ahead of West Ham, De Zerbi has been instructed to introduce a new lease of life within the struggling squad - and time is not on his side.
But if Danny Welbeck's words are anything to go by, De Zerbi is capable of quickly implementing fresh energy and perspective, having done just that during his time at Brighton. The Seagulls striker previously opened up about the beginning of the Italian's reign at the club and revealed he was instantly impressive.
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The ex-Manchester United and Arsenal forward told ESPN: "Straight away from day one he's been impressive with his charisma and his passion for the game. "He's got an eye for fine detail, with every single pass and movement.
"He's really improved a lot of players - he gives everybody the opportunity to get on the pitch and show what they can do. He's had a huge impact. It's not easy as we had a good manager before (Graham Potter).
"But Roberto's been unbelievable with the lads, with the dressing room and everybody around the club -- his charisma and passion -- you only get to see 20 percent of what we see. We see it in everything he does: it's a joy to be working for this manager right now."
Without a league win since defeating Crystal Palace 1-0 in December, De Zerbi's first opportunity to put Spurs on a path away from potential relegation is against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light next Sunday.
The 46-year-old revealed his short-term and long-term ambitions at Tottenham upon the news of his arrival. He said: "I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world.
"In all my discussions with the club's leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters.
"I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it. Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season. I’m looking forward to getting out on the training pitch and working with these players to achieve that."