Tottenham Hotspur have to go forward for the remainder of the 2025/26 Premier League season with almost a paradoxical mindset. They have to believe, firstly, that they must be perfect and win every game, leaving nothing in the relegation battle to chance. But they also must play freely without fear and without that sense there is anything to lose, because it is the cowardice and trepidation that has cost them - and we have seen that this season.
Roberto De Zerbi has hit all the right notes in his press conferences as the early Tottenham manager, and he has done so in the ways that neither Igor Tudor nor Thomas Frank were able to. The charismatic De Zerbi delivered again, starting a war on negativity head on before the Aston Villa game.
And as part of that, De Zerbi sent some slight praise over to Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani in light of an injury crisis that is only deepening and adding to that negativity surrounding a Spurs side that is still in the three Premier League relegation places.
Roberto De Zerbi has faith in his forwards
De Zerbi said, via Last Word on Spurs, âIf Xavi and Solanke are injured we can play with Kolo Muani, Tel, Richarlison. These are not bad players. We have Porro, Van de Ven, Udogie (lists a lot of other fit players). I don't have too much time to hear these things.â
Tottenham Hotspur fans already know that Mathys Tel is good, but it is Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani, the two experienced strikers, who have born the brunt of the negativity from within. And rightfully so, to be blunt, they have been disappointing this season and especially lately - Kolo Muani being the biggest offender of them all.
Instead of trying to wax poetic about them or gush their praises in a blatant and rather disengenuous bid to raise their spirits or gas them up, De Zerbi smartly took a quicker and more subtle approach. He brought up Kolo Muani's transfer pedigree to PSG and Richarlison's standing as a Brazil national team player, as both men were World Cup starters in 2022. He used those facts in the press conference, in addition to offering confidence that they can step up with Simons and Solanke down for the count.
And Kolo Muani and Richarlison needed to hear that from their manager. They needed De Zerbi to counteract the negative by showing that he trusts them. But, well, the onus is now on them to earn that trust and play well vs. Aston Villa.