Tottenham: January blunder leaves Roberto De Zerbi with zero inspiration at Hotspur Way
Tottenham Hotspur fell to yet another defeat in the Premier League on Sunday, with Sunderland securing a 1-0 win in Roberto De Zerbi’s maiden bout.
The Italian arrived at Hotspur Way over the international break and was given one task for the time being: to drag Spurs away from the relegation zone.
Instead, his side now sit 18th due to results elsewhere, while the winless run stretching back to last year continues.
It was not the worst Tottenham performance at the Stadium of Light, but it was not the best either, with the Lilywhites once again toothless in the final third.
And looking back at the season as a whole, it is hard to look at anyone else other than the club itself, which left any potential incoming manager extremely short in terms of depth.
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Tottenham had to take January opportunity
Following Thomas Frank’s appointment last summer, Mohammed Kudus made the move to North London from rivals West Ham, before quickly becoming one of the most influential players at Spurs.
While his numbers did not necessarily skyrocket, Kudus was the real difference maker out wide for the Lilywhites, with his pace and physical attributes constantly causing a problem for opposition defences.
Though back in January, the Ghanaian wideman was ruled out for multiple months due to a quad issue.
And now, after being eased back into training, the Lilywhites have confirmed that there has been a setback in his recovery – sending new boss De Zerbi back to the drawing board.
The simple fact of the matter is that Tottenham missed the opportunity to fix the problem in the transfer market.
With Dejan Kulusevski sidelined for over a year, there is no depth when it comes to the wide positions in the squad, made even more of an issue when Wilson Odobert was ruled out for the remainder of the season back in February.
With the issue impacting both Frank and his replacement, Igor Tudor, the same can now be said for De Zerbi, who has walked into a squad with no real depth.
The injuries have been unfortunate, but Spurs simply had to go out in January and secure a suitable replacement for Kudus, and add some depth for the opposite flank, instead of blowing a figure of around £38million on Conor Gallagher.
Tottenham are left without a difference maker
De Zerbi’s first match at the helm said it all when it comes to the players at his disposal.
Lining up against Sunderland, the 46-year-old started Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel out on the right and left.
Both are supremely talented; that goes without saying. But neither are natural wingers, and they fail to have the same impact as someone with the pace and experience out on the flank to cause real damage.
Tottenham fans had seen a level far from Kudus’ best during his early days at the club. But even on his worst days, he makes a real difference.
With pace to burn, he eats up ground better than most in the division, with 3.03 dribbles per 90, registering a ball carrying distance of 3131.2m.
He is a difference maker and a momentum shifter in every sense.
Capable of turning a game on its head in a matter of moments, the Ghanian adds something to the team even at his worst – a stark comparison to both Kolo Muani and Tel against Sunderland, with both operating much more effectively in and around the penalty area.
Without electric pace on the wings and a wideman who knows the role inside and out, De Zerbi has been sold short as he looks to guide the Lilywhites to safety with a squad full of square pegs in round holes.
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