Tottenham Hotspur players and fans have been sent a warning by Brighton and Hove Albion captain Lewis Dunk about what Roberto De Zerbi's first few weeks at the club could look like.
Tottenham confirmed the appointment of the Italian on Tuesday afternoon after a U-turn by the 46-year-old, who decided he was willing to manage the club for the remainder of the season despite initially being against the idea and preferring to wait until the summer.
Spurs have convinced the former Marseille boss with a five-year contract that will make him the third best-paid manager in the Premier League, according to GIVEMESPORT sources, behind Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola.
GMS understands that there is no relegation release clause in the Italian's contract, with De Zerbi happy to manage the club in the Championship if the situation arises.
Of course, he will be hoping to steer Tottenham away from trouble in their final seven matches of the season, with the north Londoners currently lying one point above West Ham United in the final relegation spot ahead of De Zerbi's first match in charge against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light a week on Sunday.
Lewis Dunk: 'Carnage' at Start of De Zerbi' Reign
Speaking about De Zerbi's opening fortnight at Brighton, the current Seagulls captain said:
"If I am being honest, the first couple of weeks were horrendous. I wouldn’t say horrendous, they were baffling.
"The first meeting when he went in, I was so confused - who to look at, what to listen to, and you slowly pick up.
"Basically don’t listen to the manager, wait for the translator to speak and you get there in the end.
"Training changed dramatically, we worked on a lot of different stuff and the first couple of weeks were a really hard transition.
"We were fourth in the league when Graham [Potter] left and we were flying with him. It was a strange time for him to go and then Roberto came in and it was a carnage two weeks."
Tottenham Players 'Excited' by De Zerbi Appointment
Following underwhelming spells in charge for both Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, Tottenham players are said to be 'excited' by the appointment of De Zerbi as the club's new manager.
The Italian has been praised by his peers, with Liverpool boss Arne Slot labelling him as 'one of the best managers in the world', and Manchester City's Pep Guardiola previously calling him 'one of the most influential managers of the last 20 years'.
What is clear is that these low-on-confidence Tottenham players need to buy into De Zerbi's tactics and methods immediately, if they are going to avoid a devastating relegation to the Championship.
Without a league win in 2026, Spurs are the out-of-form team in the relegation battle and they need instant results and everyone pulling together.
Tottenham have backed De Zerbi as the man to do that and then lead the club forward again in the summer, but first the players may have to do some uncomfortable things on the training pitch.