Rodrigo Bentancur has opened up on Tottenham Hotspur’s recent resurgence under Roberto De Zerbi as Spurs prepare for another huge night in their battle for Premier League survival.
Nothing matters more to Tottenham Hotspur and their fans right now than securing a third consecutive Premier League victory and boosting their hopes of survival.
That is exactly what Monday’s clash against Leeds United offers Spurs as they prepare to welcome Daniel Farke’s side to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tottenham supporters are expected to turn out in full voice once again to back a side fighting desperately to avoid the drop. Indeed, a victory at this stage of the season could prove crucial as Spurs look to maintain, and potentially extend, their slender one-point lead over West Ham United in 18th place.
Rodrigo Bentancur speaks ahead of Tottenham clash with Leeds United
Spurs were superb against Aston Villa last time out as they beat Unai Emery’s side 2-1. Should they replicate a similar display against a Leeds United side currently dealing with several injury issues, Tottenham could once again walk away with three vital points.
At the heart of Tottenham’s recent resurgence has been Bentancur, who has featured in Spurs’ last three games under Roberto De Zerbi.
The Uruguayan was once again excellent in the win over Villa and has now sat down with the club’s official channels to discuss Monday night’s clash against Leeds.
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Bentancur first reassured supporters over his fitness after appearing to struggle physically during the Villa win. Speaking to Tottenham’s official media channels, he said:
“I am okay, only I felt a little bit tired, so I preferred to take care and not risk anything, so everything is okay.”
The midfielder also reflected on Tottenham’s improved form, explaining how both his own return from injury and De Zerbi’s arrival have helped change the atmosphere around the squad.
“After a long injury again I feel really good. I worked a lot for this, but now the most important thing is I am back, I feel good, the team are back to winning and we are out of the relegation zone for now, this is the most important thing and now we work for Monday.
“I think the energy. When Roberto came in, he tried to change the energy and mentality to feel positive things again, and he worked a lot on this. I think we changed, the players understood the situation and now after you go back to winning games, the energy changes a lot and we feel really good.”
Rodrigo Bentancur then admitted the positivity can now be felt throughout the club.
He added, “Yeah, the fans too. Here at the training centre now, after two wins, we feel really good and we want to continue this run now.”
Spurs stars embracing Roberto De Zerbi’s style
Bentancur also spoke about adapting to Roberto De Zerbi’s style and how the squad are beginning to feel more comfortable with the tactical demands being placed on them.
Explaining the impact the Italian has made both tactically and mentally, Rodrigo Bentancur told Tottenham’s official channels:
“I think we changed a lot in the last few weeks with Roberto. He adapted to the characteristics of the players and after four or five weeks you can now see in the games that we changed a lot.
“Roberto tries to work on a positive mentality and positive aspects. He said, ‘You guys play really good, now we need to start to play again.’ He worked really well on the tactical aspect and with the ball he is amazing. We work during the week and try to do the same in the games.
“I think against Aston Villa we showed how we want to play, so we want to continue with this.”
He then revealed what the players enjoyed most about the Villa victory, particularly the balance between tactical organisation and freedom in possession.
“We enjoyed playing with the ball and also the tactical aspect without the ball. I think now we are working really well and you could see against Aston Villa that we pressed high and wanted to win the ball back quickly.
“With the ball, Roberto wants us to play calmly and when we can go fast, we go fast, otherwise we enjoy possession and move the ball. I think the team felt really good.”
The midfielder then praised Pedro Porro ahead of the Spaniard’s 150th appearance for the club, while also highlighting the defender’s mentality on the pitch.
“Pedro is a machine. One hundred and fifty games and he is still a young player. I have a really good relationship with him and our families are close too.
“He is a really good person and that is the most important thing for me. When I arrived here, he arrived six months later and because we speak the same language, I felt really good with him straight away.
“He is a top professional. He works very, very well every day here and at home, so he deserves this moment and he needs to enjoy it because he is still young and has a top future.”
Speaking about Porro’s passion, he continued: “Yeah, he is passionate. You can see in the matches, every tackle and every ball, he wins it like Palhinha. We need this at this moment, we need personality and attitude, so when he shows this for us it is really important.”
Finally, Bentancur admitted the squad are excited to return home on Monday night.
He added: “When I came back against Brighton they showed me a lot of love and the atmosphere was amazing. We need to work really hard and we need to win these three finals.”