Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival is very good news for certain members of the Tottenham Hotspur squad, but some might be worried by the manager’s style of play.
Here are the three players who will benefit the most from playing under De Zerbi and three others who could be in trouble.
Lucas Bergvall will enjoy Roberto De Zerbi’s fast paced Tottenham attacks
No Tottenham Hotspur player has looked as lively over the past couple of seasons than Lucas Bergvall.
Whether Spurs are playing exceptionally well or really badly, the young Swede always gives 100 per cent in everything he does.
Bergvall can play with intensity and so he is likely to be a fan of De Zerbi’s pacey attacking play. In fact, the new manager could help the 20-year-old develop into an even better midfielder, especially when it comes to decision-making.
Cristian Romero will be comfortable with De Zerbi’s requirements for his defenders
Being a centre-back under De Zerbi is about more than just making tackles and racking up recoveries. It is also about playing with possession and building the foundation to launch attacks.
Cristian Romero should have no problem adapting to this role, as he is usually an accurate passer of the ball.
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The Tottenham captain likes to move into the midfield areas and start attacks himself. Therefore, he could be exactly what De Zerbi needs.
Mathys Tel could become De Zerbi’s dream winger at Tottenham
Although Mathys Tel sees himself as a striker, he is looking increasingly more promising playing out wide.
The Frenchman has the ability to move quickly and he can take on defenders, which should impress De Zerbi.
Wherever the Italian goes, he usually has at least one forward whose potential gets unlocked and Tel could be that player at Spurs.
But what about the three losers…
Guglielmo Vicario cannot play with the ball at his feet
Guglielmo Vicario has a few notable weaknesses, one of which is that he is not so good in possession. The 29-year-old might not have delivered moments as bad as Fraser Forster’s Carabao Cup errors against Man United, or Antoinin Kinsky’s recent disaster.
However, he is not the type of goalkeeper who is dynamic enough to be starting attacking moves from his own net.
This could be a real problem, as De Zerbi needs someone between the sticks who is confident playing the ball.
Radu Dragusin has the same problem as Vicario at Tottenham
Like Vicario, Radu Dragusin does not possess many qualities required to enact De Zerbi’s modern style of play.
The Romanian consistently looked out of his depth during the Ange Postecoglou era and we could see something similar in the coming weeks.
Then again, will Dragusin actually start any matches? De Zerbi will change Tottenham’s formation to a back four and that could significantly limit the centre-back’s minutes. After all, surely he will not be above Kevin Danso in the pecking order.
Joao Palhinha is not a possession based player
Thomas Frank was a defensive minded manager, yet Joao Palhinha was called out for not being good enough on the ball.
Now imagine what the reaction will be while he is attempting to adapt to De Zerbi’s possession based football.
The Portuguese international could be in for a rough ride, which could ultimately see him return to Bayern Munich this summer.