Football365

Roberto De Zerbi has taken the reins at Tottenham having been persuaded by ENIC to join them in a relegation battle.

After initially insisting he wouldn’t consider the job until the end of the season reports suggested he’s made a U-turn for a host of reasons, almost all of them to do with heaps of cash money.

A man who’s left half of his previous clubs after 30 games or less and didn’t last two seasons at Brighton or Marseille has signed a long-term deal which will supposedly see him become the third-highest paid manager in the Premier League; it also includes a signing-on fee, survival bonus and no relegation clause.

It’s a package that’s proven hard to say no to even before reported ‘assurances of major summer investment to reshape the squad to his vision’.

But how might De Zerbi spend that summer cash if we make the huge assumption that he keeps them in the top flight? Here are six De Zerbi-ites he could look to bring in to fix Tottenham next season.

We’ve included their current market values to give a dubious indication of the required outlay.

Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton): £22m

Son Heung-min’s departure left a gaping hole on the left of the Tottenham attack that’s been filled like a toddler p*ssing into a swimming pool by Mathys Tel and with Mitoma’s current Brighton contract expiring in the summer of 2027 there’s a decent chance of a cut-price deal.

De Zerbi once described Mitoma as a “great player” you can “never substitute” – one he substituted nine times in the Premier League – but who undeniably thrived under the Italian having completed his famous dribbling thesis in Japan and joining Brighton the summer before De Zerbi arrived in September 2022.

“The way he sets up the team and his tactics are helping my performance, as it suits my style very well,” said Mitoma, who got 23 goal contributions in 48 games under De Zerbi and has managed just 24 in 82 appearances since they parted company.

Bart Verbruggen (Brighton): £35m

One might have thought Verbruggen wouldn’t be on best terms with De Zerbi as a result of the rotation policy with Luke Steele, but the 23-year-old – who was brought to the club and became Netherlands No.1 under the Italian’s stewardship – insisted during that in-and-out phase of his career that it was a “privilege” to work under such a “brilliant manager”.

“He makes you want to work harder and harder and harder,” Verbruggen added. “He also prepares you for the games so well. He says stuff to you, like ‘You can expect this, you can expect that’. And then, come gameday, you see it happening in front of you.”

Tottenham have already been credited with interest in Verbruggen, along with Bayern Munich, and the general chaos brought by Guglielmo Vicario and That Night In Madrid for Antonin Kinsky will have left few in doubt at Spurs that a goalkeeping upgrade is required.

Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton): £30m

There’s a fair chance De Zerbi sees plenty of himself in Van Hecke.

“I think the most important quality of JP is the balance between the arrogance and the confidence in himself. He is not arrogant but his confidence in himself is high, high, high.”

Though we would argue De Zerbi fails to toe that particular line quite as successfully as the centre-back there’s evidently a chemistry between the pair and respect that goes both ways as Van Hecke hailed De Zerbi for “making me a better player every day” – a common theme of praise among the Italian’s former players; an encouraging one for Tottenham fans.

Van Hecke has caught Liverpool eyes through his performances this season – his quality in finding passes between the lines in particular – and chances are Spurs are going to need one, if not two, new centre-backs amid significant doubt over the futures of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.

Carlos Baleba (Brighton): £48m

It’s fair to say he’s taken his eye off the ball following interest in his services in the summer; some might suggest having watched his slump this term that Baleba’s head hasn’t stopped spinning since it was turned by Manchester United and the £100m Brighton rebuke after the Red Devils approached them at the end of the transfer window.

He’s been as off his game as Moises Caicedo was for a brief time following the nine-figure scramble for his services; the key difference being Baleba’s defensive midfield predecessor had already secured his move to Chelsea.

Baleba’s most eye-catching displays came after De Zerbi had left the club but the Italian insisted after signing the midfielder from Lille for £23m that he could “be our new Caicedo” and Spurs could really, really do with half a Caicedo, let alone the full whack.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Marseille): £16m

Sure, Tottenham could perhaps have done with the 133 goals Harry Kane has scored in the 136 games he’s played for Bayern Munich since leaving his boyhood club, but Ange Postecoglou led them to fifth in the Premier League the season after the striker selfishly decided to go and win some silverware.

Spurs’ demise can actually be traced back to the point when Hojbjerg upped sticks to Marseille. A relegation battle this season has followed a 17th-placed finish last term and we put that almost entirely down to the departure of their oft-maligned midfield warrior.

Danny Welbeck (Brighton): £3.5m

We can hear the scoffs and sense the raised eyebrows but 35 is the new 30 and Welbeck scored more Premier League goals (10) than any Tottenham striker last season, while his 12 so far this term outstrips Richarlison (9) who currently leads the way for Spurs.

Former Tottenham winger Chris Waddle is “really concerned” about Spurs’ potential relegation and has criticised the club for signing Conor Gallagher.

Tottenham are currently just one point above the relegation zone with seven Premier League matches left and are at serious risk of spending next season in the Championship.

Interim boss Igor Tudor left by mutual consent on Sunday and Tottenham are now reportedly set to appoint Roberto De Zerbi on a long-term contract.

Former England winger Waddle is not convinced a new manager will solve any of their issues immediately and has questioned the club over the signing of Gallagher – who was being tracked by Man Utd – in the winter.

Waddle told 10bet: “Where do Tottenham go from here? It’s looking like the Championship. I’m really concerned and worried about what is happening at the football club.

“I cannot believe a club of that size are in the position that they’re in. After the result against Forest, Tottenham are basically the favourites for that third relegation spot.

READ: Tottenham’s new leadership and ‘Arsenal double-agent’ has Spurs fans longing for Levy

“Hopefully three or four players will come back [after the international break], but are they good enough? Will it be enough?

“That’s the big question for Tottenham: Are the players good enough and do they have the bottle for a relegation fight? Can they roll up their sleeves?

“I’m not convinced that this group of players have got enough about them to stop the rot. Tottenham are miles off the pace.

“The players need to take some responsibility, but the main culprit are the board and leadership of the club. They haven’t invested money in players; they’re always buying for the future, but Tottenham need better players for the now.”

MORE TOTTENHAM COVERAGE ON F365…

* Top 10 issues De Zerbi and Tottenham must instantly address to try and avoid calamity

* ‘Thomas Frank might be allowed back’ over De Zerbi as ludicrous Tottenham curveball thrown

* Ferdinand uses ‘bad’ Van de Ven and four teammates to warn De Zerbi off Tottenham

Waddle added: “I don’t think a new manager at Tottenham changes a thing. The players aren’t good enough and that isn’t going to change if a new manager comes in.

“I’m looking at the squad, looking at individuals that don’t look like they’ve got the stomach or the ability to pull the club out of the hole it’s in.

“Tottenham have the best stadium in the country and the best training facilities. They don’t have the best players and until the board changes its recruitment policy, then the club will always struggle. They won’t ever be able to challenge at the top end of the table.

“Look at the recruitment. £35m for Conor Gallagher in January. No disrespect to Gallagher, but if Atletico were happy to let him go after a season and a half, then alarm bells should be ringing.

“Don’t blame the manager for Tottenham’s problems. It isn’t Igor Tudor’s fault. The people that run the club must take responsibility.

“Tottenham are in a fight. They’ve got seven games to save their season. The only people that can save them now are the players.

“Am I confident they will do it? Nothing I’ve seen from this group of players convinces me that Tottenham will be playing Premier League football next season.”

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur have reached an ‘agreement’ with Roberto De Zerbi and three key players have reacted to his arrival.

It has been widely reported during this international break that Spurs have been working hard on securing a suitable replacement for former boss Igor Tudor, who officially departed the club at the end of last week.

Tudor’s position became untenable following Tottenham‘s damaging 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest. This was their fifth loss in seven games under the former Juventus boss, and it leaves them only one point clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

The north London side have been linked with several potential replacements for Tudor, though it has also been reported that De Zerbi has been above all as their favourite option.

READ: Top 10 issues De Zerbi and Tottenham must instantly address to try and avoid calamity

It initially seemed that this appointment would be unlikely as De Zerbi looked set to wait until the summer to return to management after leaving Marseille at the start of this year.

However, it emerged on Tuesday that De Zerbi had changed his tune on joining Spurs now, with the head coach nearing an agreement with the Premier League strugglers for four key reasons.

And on Wednesday afternoon, it emerged that a deal to bring De Zerbi is nearly finalised, with talkSPORT’s Alex Crook reporting an ‘agreement is in place’ between the two parties.

Italian reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, meanwhile, has stated that there are a ‘few final details to iron out’, but there is a ‘definitive approval’ for this appointment.

And our colleagues at TEAMtalk have revealed how three Spurs players have reacted to this appointment and why club chiefs have chosen him.

The report claims:

‘Tottenham’s leadership team within their first-team squad, believed to comprise defenders Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and midfield playmaker James Maddison, are all very much ‘excited’ by his arrival and believe his appointment gives the club their best chance at survival.’

Before reports revealed an ‘agreement’ for De Zerbi, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano named two alternatives the club considered.

READ NEXT: Manchester United receive questionable ‘transfer boost’ over Tonali – and Spurs are ‘too good for’ De Zerbi

Romano said: “I told you to keep an eye on De Zerbi because he has always been one of the main names under consideration. Marco Silva was also discussed, but at this stage he is not leaving Fulham before the end of the season.

“From the beginning of this process, the club’s preference has been clear. De Zerbi has always been highly rated internally, even earlier in the season when managerial plans were first being considered.

“There was also a discussion involving Mauricio Pochettino, but that situation is complicated due to his commitments with the United States national team and the upcoming World Cup.

“De Zerbi is currently available, and his tactical quality, leadership style, and strong relationship with players are all factors that Tottenham appreciate.”

The mismanagement of Tottenham Hotspur ought to be studied for years to come, regardless of whether they escape relegation under an overpromoted new manager…

The Mailbox is reacting to the news that Roberto De Zerbi is likely to come in at Spurs on a five-year contract.

Send your thoughts on the shambles unfolding in north London, or on any other matter, to theeditor@football365.com…

How has it come to this?

Yesterday, to feel a modicum of joy for Spurs again for the first time in ages, I watched back the clip of the whole stadium singing ‘I’m loving Big Ange instead’ after the win over United, during that glorious first 10 game unbeaten run, which had Spurs playing exciting, attacking football again. Finally we had a manager who matched our identity, an exciting group of players, and unity between the team, the fans and even seemingly the boardroom.

Two tumultuous seasons followed… but they ended in an open top bus tour less than 12 months ago, as Spurs finally broke the ‘Spursy’ trophy curse, and won the Europa League. Less than 12 months ago.

How have we fallen so far, so soon?

Since that moment, and maybe even before, Spurs have strung together disaster after disaster.

Our often maligned ex-Chairman Daniel Levy was axed in the summer after a 20 year stint where he turned the club from mid table also-rans, into top 6 contenders who play in the best stadium, train in the best training grounds, have often had some of the world’s best players like Kane, Son and Bale, are one of the wealthiest clubs in the world. Yes, he was miserly, and warranted plenty of critique along the way… but compared to the absolutely inept management that have taken his place, I am crying out for the Levy era.

Our new ‘ownership’ who’ve taken the reins from Levy: The US based sons and daughters of 88 year old billionaire Joe Lewis, and their partners, who have a background in real estate, not football. No connection to the premier league, or Sports, as far as we’re aware. But yes, they’ve inherited the 9th richest club in the world. And nosedived it in less than a year.

Football Director: Johan Lange, known best for his stint at Villa where he steered them towards relegation, before Unai Emery could turn the ship around.

CEO, and main culprit in my opinion, Vinai Venkatesham. His previous role: CEO at Arsenal, and at this point, I’m genuinely convinced he’s an Arsenal double agent. No way any executive could torpedo a big team as quickly as Vinai. If it turns out he’s been an Arsenal agent all this time, with the goal of ruining Spurs, he’s done an impeccable job.

If we call the sacking of Ange the first mistake, and the ousting of Levy the second, let’s look at the most recent:

Spurs are on the edge of absolute disaster, where I honestly believe the only thing that can save them is good vibes. Someone (like an Ange!) who knows the club, has the respect of the players, and is capable of motivating a group. Forget tactics, we’re past that.

Instead? A panic option. Put a blank cheque in front of one of the most miserable, volatile coaches in Europe, famous for falling out with every team he’s ever coached.

At the time of writing, RDZ is apparently holding them over a barrel (and why wouldn’t he?). He knows Spurs are desperate, so he’s squeezing them for a guaranteed £10-15mil a year (second highest in the league after Pep) and a 5 YEAR CONTRACT. This man has never coached more than 91 games AT ANY CLUB, and yet we’ll give him 5 years? Shameful.

Why any club would BEG the poor man’s Antonio Conte like this is incredible. What’s on his CV or track record that warrants this fawning? If Spurs leadership had any sense, and a morsel of humility, they’d have called Ange, and made the right decision weeks ago. But why should I think that group are capable of any good decisions.

I had slim hope that we’d survive this mess, and Poch would return in the summer and bring some joy back to Spurs. That hope goes up in smoke with De Zerbi (unless his tenure ends with him jumping into the Spurs crowd Paolo Di Canio style before the end of the season – not impossible).

The mismanagement of Tottenham Hotspur will be studied for decades to come.

Andy, Eire, Spurs(?)

MORE: Top 10 issues De Zerbi and Tottenham must instantly address to try and avoid calamity

Everyone falling upwards at Spurs

Not sure I really buy any of this negativity about De Zerbi to Spurs, or indeed that Ben Davies might be a better strategy. In fact, it’s really everyone kind of failing upwards, at least for the next few weeks which ultimately is all that matters for everyone involved.

For Spurs, the clear benefit is someone with an attacking philosophy with the nous to unlock some really underperforming attacking players. There are elements of the out of possession work Spurs have been doing all season under Frank with more direction and verve going forward for it to be at least as intuitive as any other coach could instil and he’s a more positive vibes guy than Tudor for sure. Spurs basically have no good options, but he seems like probably the best (not certain even someone like Alonso would consider there to be the tools to implement his system). De Zerbi has a ton of his own baggage (more on that in a second) and no-one is pretending his stuff is simple or low risk, but it’s probably better than nothing.

For De Zerbi, his reputation as a tactical innovator and influence in the game is at real risk of tarnishing by his managing approach/demeanor, to the point this Spurs team represent almost certainly his last chance at a ‘big’ European job (maybe not Italy, but I don’t know enough about how he’s perceived there) and, if he does keep them up, a ton of cash for doing so plus probably full support from a grateful ownership to reshape the squad how he wants (and this ownership will spend a lot this summer from all accounts to try and fix this disaster of a season). His madcap vibes are clearly neither for everyone or maybe even long term sustainable for a big club, but they might work for at least a while and have a slightly more positive mindset than someone like Tudor.

Everyone is about at as low an ebb as it can go (Spurs can’t get any worse on the pitch, De Zerbi can’t ruin his reputation on something that already looks so forlorn) and there really is at least a reasonable amount of upside (well, not getting relegated).

Or go with Gareth…? Great vibes, simple tactics, might be tempted by a nice stack of cash for a quick revival job?

Tom, Leyton

Relegation isn’t funny

Dave argues that a Tottenham relegation would be ‘hilarious’

He’s far from the only offender. I see the same sentiments all over the socials and youtube.

Perhaps these people forget that not everyone has a happy, comfortable life like them or, presumably, Dave.

There are Premier League supporters all over the world.

And some of them are sick people in pain. Many are people in poverty that Dave and I can’t even imagine. Some fans are people in abusive relationships, or unemployed long-term through no fault of their own, for whom the footy is an escape, and when it goes badly wrong for their team, it hurts. It affects people’s emotional lives in a real way.

I hope Spurs, my team, don’t go down. But I don’t hope that West Ham do just so that I can ridicule everyone I know who supports them. Support your team. Let others support theirs. And banter with your mates, but don’t forget football is not just a banter mine. It’s an escape for millions less fortunate.

Kind regards

Sam

Anyone can manage Spurs but no one wants to

I just wanted to write in and correct something I wrote at the beginning of the year on this mailbox regarding the vacant Spurs job.

Just to recap; me and my best mate have always resolutely believed that we’d do a decent job of managing Spurs – we’re not Tottenham fans (amen to that) but we always saw it as a springboard to something bigger and better when we came up with the notion in the late 1990’s.

Do well at Spurs, then progress to Real Madrid, either Milan giant, Barca or possibly Atleti (Simeone has subsequently stolen our thunder on this one) or maybe Juve or similar.

At the start of 2026 I publicly threw our hat into the ring for Spurs on this very forum – and I cannot help but think that even if we’d have rocked into the training sessions in a clown car wearing blindfolds and getting the entire squad to sing ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ for 8 hours straight, we’d have a vastly superior record to that of one Igor Tudor.

So with our potential future employment very much in the balance and also not wanting to bring unnecessary embarrassment to ourselves; we herby rescind our application for the Spurs job. We are in fact going above them both in class and potential success directly, applying to Ayr United, Forres Mechanics & Accrington Stanley instead.

Yours bullet dodgingly,

Jemes & Chręs

MONDAY MAILBOX: Why is the Ole era at Man Utd deemed a failure? Solskjaer was a success…

All that was wrong with Ole

Moses seems to have some troubles with Amnesia or a selective memory in asking “What was the ‘mistake’ with ole?”, so let me help with that:

Everton 4-0 United

Wolves 2-1 United (FA Cup QF)

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Daniel James, Jadon Sancho, Rafael Varane, Donny Van De Beek, Alex Telles, Odion Ighalo

Basaksehir 2-0 United

McFred

Losing the Europa League final to Villareal (7th in La Liga)

United 1-2 Sheffield United (bottom of the table)

United 0-2 Burnley

Undying faith in De Gea (who was throwing them in at the time)

Cristiano Ronaldo

United 1-6 Spurs

United 0-5 Liverpool

Pinning all hope on Paul Pogba

Watford 4-1 United

Yes there were good moments, but once the #vibez disappeared it really wasn’t all that great.

Mark (MUFC)

Toasted bagel

Moses (lots of stuff in brackets I couldn’t be bothered reading!) wrote earlier about the success or otherwise that Solskjaer had at Manu Utd.

Firstly he says that he is ‘1000% Carrick in’. This is of course not possible, just like you can’t give 110%, or that Donny can’t reduce drug prices by 1000%, 3000% or 5000%, or whatever random number he pulls from out of his fat arse.

He than states that he ‘would cautiously accept and only tolerate Enrique or bagelboy until they proved themselves’. Enrique I know, but ‘bagelboy’ I have no f*cking idea who this is meant to be.

Bagels are of Polish-Jewish origin I think, and are of course quite famous foods now in New York and Montreal, But I cannot think of a Polish, US or Canadian candidate being rumoured for the Man Utd job, and I have no idea about, nor give a sh*t about the religion of any of the potential candidates.

So, if you are going to give people childish nicknames, please make it obvious who you are referring to or it renders your message somewhat meaningless and incomplete.

A, LFC, Montreal (bagels suck).

Some thoughts

Not quite 16 conclusions but…

– If you were Harry Maguire and you were told that you were 5th choice and only likely to get playing time if the team was behind and you’d be stuck up front to try and nick a goal, would you be entitled to tell Tuchel to go stick it, considering Maguire is 33 and unlikely to feature internationally again?

– The current Spurs squad is not the worst in the EPL, especially as more injured players return. Is it really the time for a fiery and inflexible Manager like De Zerbi? Was not Amorin and Postecoglou sufficient examples of what NOT to do? Not that Carrick is a Messiah, but maybe Spurs should be looking for someone who can instill some confidence in them to get them over the line? Could Hoddle be the answer? What about Martin O’Neil?

– I’m sorry to break it to you folk but VAR is NEVER going away. There is too much money at stake and statistically it is getting most decisions correct. Instead of trying to push back the tide, why not start lobbying for sensible improvements, e.g. more AI.

– Anyone want to bet that most, if not all the injured Arsenal players will make a miraculous recovery in time for their next fixture?

– I understand the anti-Carrick lobby based on the “vibe” argument, citing how it eventually went pear-shaped under Ole but, the reality is that a significant part of a successful team is confidence and Carrick has turned MUFC around without one new signing. Everyone can see the current weaknesses in the team and regardless of who the new manager will be, much of that will be addressed in the summer. If he makes the Champions League, he has earned his chance.

– Is it time that we start rating Pundits (what you think Football365)? They are all on different channels at different times and frequencies but it feels like my Gran could offer better insight than some of the irregulars. Nothing motivates one more than seeing your name at the bottom of the list.

Spurs have made their second desperate last-ditch managerial gamble of the season.

In a hilarious and adorable attempt at showing hints of permanence and long-term thinking, they are actually going to appoint a permanent manager in a season when they’ve already just had to get rid of an interim one.

That manager is going to be Roberto De Zerbi. It’s going to be… interesting.

The long-term problems of chucking an eight-figure salary and five-year deal at a volatile manager who has blown up within two years at every club he’s been at – most of those clubs being less intrinsically ridiculous ones than Spurs – are obvious enough.

Even if he does keep Spurs up, the idea that there would at long last be some sense of long-term security and permanence at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium appears laughable. Even in the very best version of how the remainder of this season plays out, we are still surely no more than 12 months away from calls for Mauricio Pochettino’s return again.

But the very best version of how the remainder of this season plays out is also not the likeliest version of how the remainder of this season plays out.

Spurs do appear determined to pile up further long-term footballing and financial problems with this appointment, but those are concerns for quite literally another day.

Here are 10 immediate – and in some cases entirely unsolvable – problems Spurs and De Zerbi now face. TL;DR – those problems are De Zerbi, his current players, and one former one.

Mason Greenwood

This was inevitably coming. From the moment De Zerbi left Brighton it’s felt certain he would one day be back in Our League. And from the moment he started praising Mason Greenwood as a ‘good guy’ who’d paid a ‘heavy price’ and suggesting that doing good football could absolve everything anyone had ever done, it was thus inevitable that De Zerbi’s prophesied return to the Premier League would bring Greenwood back to the Premier League.

Not literally. Not even Spurs are that f**king mental. But his name is back in Premier League conversation by virtue of being so indelibly linked with De Zerbi for the role the former Marseille manager has played in Greenwood’s ‘rehabilitation’. Which has consisted of showing zero remorse or growth but scoring several goals.

We suppose if it was as inevitable as it’s always felt, then grimly this might be the least bad way for it to happen. De Zerbi was going to rock up somewhere in the Premier League with all his Greenwood baggage, but at least this way it’s with a club that might well f**k off in seven games’ time.

Explaining himself

Nevertheless, one of the very first things De Zerbi will have to do as Spurs manager is attempt to explain himself. Whatever your views on Greenwood, you must at least acknowledge the divisiveness of the situation. It isn’t just utter woke nonsense. Multiple Spurs fan groups have expressed genuine dismay at this appointment and it is no idle concern.

You can call it ‘virtue signalling’ and not care, but it doesn’t make it all magically disappear. De Zerbi will be asked about it the first time he speaks as Spurs manager, and his answer will have to be spectacularly good and unbelievably convincing to satisfy anyone at all.

Admittedly, we’re not quite sure exactly what he could say or how he could say it that could be both good and convincing given all the other crass and unpleasant things he’s said on the subject in recent years, but that is also kind of his fault and kind of the point.

Togetherness

And, to reiterate, the crucial thing with that is that it matters whether you think it should or not.

It’s obviously unscientific, but one prominent Spurs fan’s yes-or-no X poll on De Zerbi produced the obvious split decision right down to achieving the exact cursed ratio of 48:52 at one point.

More significant even than the split result were the split replies. Again, social media isn’t real life but the replies are an almost perfect combination of “Who are these f**king idiots saying no?” and “Who are these f**king idiots saying yes?” with the occasional “I am now numb to Spurs bullsh*t and have checked out” ballot-spoilers who are, in truth, probably the only sane ones among us.

At a time when Spurs are in desperate need of unity and clarity of purpose they really might have now stumbled into appointing – at eye-watering cost – just about the most divisive and baggage-heavy manager possible.

Firefighter?

It’s not even like all those opposing De Zerbi’s appointment were consumed by moral concerns, either. There are clear footballing issues with this appointment at this time.

While it was a relief to have it confirmed by the estimable Football Cliches that De Zerbi does at least meet the minimum height requirements to be a for-real firefighter, his credentials as a footballing one remain severely open to question.

Spurs have just got rid of a manager who took one point from his five Premier League games. Igor Tudor leaves English football – and our hunch is that unlike De Zerbi he won’t return – as one of the worst Premier League managers ever.

Yet De Zerbi took just one more point from his first five games at Brighton than Tudor did in his first five games at Spurs. They even both had a chaotic draw at Anfield.

Of course coming into Brighton in September and Spurs in late March are not the same situation. Not even close. But only because this one is much, much worse. De Zerbi took two points from his first five games at a club that had just taken 13 from their first six games of the season.

Tottenham’s last 13 points have taken them nearly five months and 21 games to achieve.

The timeframe

Of course, De Zerbi did then start getting a very decent tune out of that talented Brighton squad. A total of 47 points from the remaining 27 games of that season after De Zerbi’s sticky start propelled Brighton all the way to sixth place and European football by the end of May.

So the question here becomes whether De Zerbi is older and wiser enough to condense that bedding-in period. When he took over at Marseille with a pre-season, all was well. He won four of his first five Ligue 1 games. If he can do that at Spurs, then an awful lot of other things will be forgiven by an awful lot of currently angry sorts.

But can the mini-pre-season De Zerbi will have between now and a trip to Sunderland next weekend be enough?

Can De Zerbi squeeze what took him five weeks with an in-form and confident Brighton squad into five days with a shellshocked, doom-addled, checked-out Spurs one?

The goalkeeper

Does feel like if you strip away every other ethical or footballing concern, De Zerbi’s chances of short-term success at Spurs rest massively on this hugely problematic position.

It’s no secret that De Zerbi’s preferred tactics in possession involve building up short from the back, drawing the opposition on to them and then playing through or round them.

This does generally require a goalkeeper who has enormous confidence as well as the faith and confidence of those around them. Spurs have Guglielmo Vicario and Antonin Kinsky.

One has been a liability all season, with the news of the injury he has battled through for months before surgery last week offering belated mitigation. The other infamously had to be hauled off for his own good 16 minutes into his Champions League debut earlier this month.

Based on the four-week timeframe suggested when Spurs confirmed Vicario’s issue, Kinsky will have to play the Sunderland game at the very least. It will be fascinating – again, quite possibly grimly so – to see quite how De Zerbi goes about it, to see quite how De Zerbi Spurs will look in that game having spent much of the season under Frank pointedly Going Long as a direct response and reaction to some of the wilder madnesses of the Postecoglou Era.

The ball receivers

But it’s not just the goalkeeper. De Zerbiball is one that places a high level of responsibility on the centre-backs and deep-lying midfielders to receive the ball confidently in tight spaces and make clear-headed decisions about where and how to proceed next.

Spurs do have players with the technical ability for this. At their best, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are among the more adept ball-playing defenders around. In recent times they have both been a long, long way from their best.

Romero’s infamous impetuous tendencies have never been more to the fore than in his first season as club captain, while Van de Ven has come to personify more than any other player the checked-out nature of this squad.

It does feel like Spurs’ hopes of salvation rest heavily on how the goalkeeper(s) and their two star centre-backs respond to and cope with De Zerbi’s approach.

Gray and ?

The deep-set double midfield pivot brings some happier news, at least. One of those two spots is easily addressed. It’s Archie Gray, a man who only recently turned 20 and the one beacon of light in the recent gloom upon which all hopes are placed.

Spurs fans would be advised to dwell on that rare piece of good news because, as per, the kicker arrives instantly. Because, alas and alack, there is only one Archie Gray and Spurs require two Archie Grays. At a minimum, really.

Who partners Gray in midfield is another vital issue for De Zerbi to address, and another one that appears to have no obvious ideal solution. The soon-to-return Rodrigo Bentancur has the requisite ball skills but not the energy. Pape Sarr the opposite. Joao Palhinha wouldn’t appear ideally suited to a De Zerbi midfield but he did make it work with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Lucas Bergvall is the high-risk, high-reward option. He has struggled to deliver upon the promise shown last season. Partly that can be put down to the non-linear nature of the progress made by young players. Partly it can be put down to injuries. But it can also in large part be put down to him being woefully misidentified by Frank as a number 10 rather than a player whose best work is done from much, much deeper.

He was rusty and out of sorts when introduced so calamitously off the bench against Nottingham Forest in Tudor’s final game, but it could be one area of the pitch where De Zerbi could be handsomely rewarded for early bravery.

The high press and playmaker

One thing Spurs did do conspicuously better under Tudor than Frank was run. They weren’t a better football team, but they were an apparently fitter one, covering significantly more ground per game. Tudor never saw the fruits of his labours there, but De Zerbi could we suppose.

Spurs’ forwards don’t appear ideally suited to a De Zerbi press, but you’d imagine big winners from his arrival will be Richarlison, whose energy is boundless if chaotic and only sometimes usefully channelled, and Mathys Tel who is one of the very few Spurs players this season whose effort at least cannot be called into question.

But more significant than any of it – perhaps more significant than anything apart from how and how successfully De Zerbi instructs his confidence-shorn goalkeepers to play – is that No. 10 position.

It is literally pivotal to any De Zerbi team and it feels like when everything is boiled down it may very well be that De Zerbi and Xavi Simons will either make or break each other at Spurs.

The sheer lack of alternative options does indicate that Xavi will at the very, very least get an extended run – seven games counts as an extended run now, shut up it does – in his actual position under a manager who doesn’t view the idea of having a player in the cheating position as, well, cheating.

The positive spin

We’ll end with some wildly desperate optimism to pierce the gloom. Not for the first time here we find ourselves spinning a positive from the sheer depths of Spurs’ despair. If it goes one way, at least it gets rid of De Zerbi and the Greenwood noise quickly.

But it might be that Spurs’ players are so broken that they prove more swiftly receptive to De Zerbi’s methods than a Brighton team that was already playing well under a manager they liked and respected before he came along.

Spurs have spent the entire year finding rock bottoms that have turned out to in fact be false rock bottoms that have even rockier and even bottomier bottoms beneath them. If there’s one thing Spurs fans have taken from this harrowing experience it’s that it absolutely can still get worse. This could still get worse.

But it could also get better. De Zerbi is a difficult individual with a lot of baggage and there are myriad ways this could go disastrously wrong. He is also the best head coach Spurs have employed this season.

They will play better-looking football than they have at any other time this season. It might even be effective. Maybe.

As i’s are reportedly dotted and t’s crossed on Roberto De Zerbi’s contract before he signs on as the new Tottenham boss, a ludicrous curveball has been thrown: “Thomas Frank might be allowed back…”

De Zerbi initially told Tottenham he wouldn’t consider becoming their new manager in a relegation battle but is now reportedly close to agreeing terms with the club after being offered a lucrative five-year deal including a signing-on fee and survival bonus.

He will have quite the task on his hands not just this season with Spurs now just one point above the relegation zone, but in the seasons to come as quite the rebuild is required with what reports suggest will be ‘major investment to reshape the squad to his vision’.

The Italian would be replacing Igor Tudor, whose interim reign lasted just seven games and 44 days, who was brought in as a firefighter to save Tottenham in a relegation battle they had been plunged into by predecessor Thomas Frank, who was sacked in February after Spurs had won just two of their last 17 league matches under he ex-Brentford boss.

But Martin Keown – who has proven himself to be little more than a mouthpiece for Tottenham’s bitter rivals Arsenal this season – claims Frank might be given a second chance at the club because he was slightly less terrible than Tudor.

“I’m not sure they enjoyed it when the last manager came in, he was quite scathing of the group,” Keown told talkSPORT.

“Maybe it’s an arm around the shoulder a little bit here? It certainly didn’t work last time.

“Look… I know people say you should never go back, but Thomas Frank might be allowed back in the building to actually say, ‘Okay, let’s try and pick up where we left off’.

“I know that they lost a few games, but it was certainly a lot better than we saw from recent games.”

Meanwhile, back on planet earth, Rio Ferdinand has warned Roberto De Zerbi against taking the Tottenham job.

“I’ve always championed De Zerbi, I think he’s a great manager,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel. ‘He’s a thinking manager, he’s always looking for new, innovative ways to build his teams.

“This might be the perfect time to get him but are Spurs in the right situation for him?

“I’ve got to be honest, I wouldn’t go to Spurs right now.

“I just think it is a club that’s in such a bad way and there have been far too many managers that have failed there.

“That’s not the only thing because we can look at lots of clubs like that. But they call themselves a big club or wanting to be a big club, they’re bemused when they’re not mentioned in the big club bracket.

“But they don’t spend like a big club to attract the biggest players and then they wonder why they’re not in the top echelon of football clubs in that sense, when you look at them on the pitch and their output.”

Rio Ferdinand has warned “thinking manager” Roberto De Zerbi off Tottenham as they don’t act like a “big club” and used five struggling stars to evidence the problem.

De Zerbi initially told Tottenham he wouldn’t consider becoming their new manager in a relegation battle but is now reportedly close to agreeing terms with the club after being offered a lucrative five-year deal including a signing-on fee and survival bonus.

He will have quite the task on his hands not just this season with Spurs now just one point above the relegation zone, but in the seasons to come as quite the rebuild is required with what reports suggest will be ‘major investment to reshape the squad to his vision’.

Ferdinand understands why Tottenham have gone after De Zerbi but can’t see why the Italian looks set to accept the job.

“Imagine going into a club like Spurs with the stadium, the training ground… imagine the walk-around of the facilities, it’s like the best in class,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.

“But obviously on the pitch in looks very different.

“Listen, at the moment I’d be more worried about the hierarchy, I’d be looking into that. Why has it gone so wrong for so many? Big names, new ones… why has this place not been able to kick on?

“I don’t understand it because they’ve got it all sitting there… are they [the hierarchy] going to be a hinderance to me [Tottenham’s next manager] behind the scenes? Are they going to ruin my reputation even more now? What’s the situation here?

“I’ve always championed De Zerbi, I think he’s a great manager. He’s a thinking manager, he’s always looking for new, innovative ways to build his teams.

“This might be the perfect time to get him but are Spurs in the right situation for him?”

“I’ve got to be honest, I wouldn’t go to Spurs right now.

“I just think it is a club that’s in such a bad way and there have been far too many managers that have failed there.

“That’s not the only thing because we can look at lots of clubs like that. But they call themselves a big club or wanting to be a big club, they’re bemused when they’re not mentioned in the big club bracket.

“But they don’t spend like a big club to attract the biggest players and then they wonder why they’re not in the top echelon of football clubs in that sense, when you look at them on the pitch and their output.”

Asked which members of Tottenham’s current squad could thrive under De Zerbi’s management, Ferdinand replied: “I actually couldn’t tell you, I couldn’t tell you.

“I thought [Micky] van de Ven was going to be a top centre-half. Is it him or is it the lack of stability at the football club or the tactics, the way the team is being set up that’s making him look bad? I don’t know.

“I can go through so many players… I spoke to Carlo Ancelotti when he was the Everton manager and he had Richarlison there and he said this kid would play for a Real Madrid or a team like that, a category A club in Europe at some point.

“He couldn’t be further away from it if he tried right now. Is that down to him [Richarlison] or is that down to the environment that he’s in at Spurs?

“There are far too many players that are underachieving with their quality from what we’ve seen before.

“Look at Xavi Simons at the Euros, he was brilliant for the Netherlands and his club football, he was flying.

“He’s gone to Spurs and he looks a shadow of himself, confidence has dropped, the environment is sucking the life out of these players.

“James Maddison has obviously had a lot of injuries but he wasn’t the Maddison of Leicester, pulling up trees and getting them out of situations consistently all the time.”

Roberto De Zerbi’s palms look to have been sufficiently greased for him to become the new Tottenham manager in what many onlookers will see as quite the coup for Spurs as they look to stave off relegation.

But the Italian’s defence of Mason Greenwood, in particular a horribly narrow-minded and callous 18-word attempt to brush the former Manchester United’s alleged rape under the carpet, should have been enough to see Spurs steer clear of the 46-year-old as fan groups rail against his appointment.

De Zerbi has reportedly been offered a five-year deal at Tottenham which will make him the Premier League’s third-highest paid manager, which also includes a signing-on fee and survival bonus. He’s also been given ‘assurances of major summer investment to reshape the squad to his vision’ if we’re to make the giant assumption that he keeps Spurs in the top flight.

He left Marseille by mutual consent in February following a 5-0 hammering by PSG and a 3-0 Champions League loss to Club Brugge, but led them to second last season, in large part thanks to Greenwood’s 21 goals after De Zerbi brought him to the club in his first transfer window at the helm.

Manchester United narrowly avoided a PR disaster having tested the waters through revealing they were considering Greenwood’s return to the first team when charges against him were dropped in February 2023 by sending him out on loan to Getafe before accepting Marseille’s £26.6m bid for the academy graduate in the summer of 2024.

Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 amid allegations surrounding images and videos. He was later charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The Crown Prosecution Service said the charges were discontinued after key witnesses withdrew their involvement and “new material came to light”.

As if he had been managing from a hole in the ground, De Zerbi insisted before Greenwood’s signing was made official that “I don’t know his background”, and said he would defend all his players publicly “like (they were) my sons”.

We wonder what he might have said had his actual son been in Greenwood’s shoes during his suspension from football, but in November, De Zerbi described Greenwood as a “good guy” who had paid a “heavy price”.

The heavy price of scolding from what we hope is the vast majority but grim respect from others for getting back on a footballing horse which earns Greenwood over £100,000 per week.

“It saddens me what happened to him because I know a very different person from the one portrayed in England.” De Zerbi added.

Women of the Lane said De Zerbi’s comments raised “serious questions about judgement and leadership”.

The group, whose aim is to eradicate sexism and misogyny in football, said: “This is not an appointment Tottenham Hotspur should make.”

After launching the ‘no to De Zerbi’ campaign, Proud Lilywhites, Spurs’ official LGBTQ+ fans’ group, said: “When someone in that position publicly defends a player like Mason Greenwood, and frames it in a way that downplays the seriousness of what happened, it matters, not just in isolation but in what it signals.”

“He is a player of an extraordinary level,” De Zerbi said after Greenwood scored twice on his debut before delivering what should have been the 18-word smoking gun to ensure Tottenham didn’t go anywhere near him as he downplayed the forward’s alleged rape like the absolute worst guy down the pub shrugging and declaring that he “scores goals though…”

“I am happy that he scored, as that way he will be less of a target for controversy.”

Greenwood made himself the target by bringing about the controversy after (excuse us for repetition here) he was charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

And Tottenham’s manager-elect is arguably the person who can be most credited, or most culpable, for Greenwood’s bleak rise from his pit of public shame after all-but declaring that all ills can be cured through playing good football.

Here we are then, at the juncture where Tottenham Hotspur appointing an injured back-up left-back as their manager might not be their worst option.

Actually, hilarious though it sounds, it could even be their best hope of dodging relegation.

Really, just a huge well done to everyone involved in bringing us here. Especially the pair at the wheel of this particular clown car, chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange, both of whom seem to be operating under the incorrect assumption that the other must know what they are doing.

Between them, they have to find a manager to slam on the brakes as Spurs career towards the Championship. Igor Tudor was not that man – never was he nor did he ever look like he might be – and now, more than a week after it was clear the Croatian was done in north London, not only are Tottenham yet to identify a replacement, they don’t appear to know what type of figure they want as their next victim boss.

Someone who knows the club? Someone who knows the league – or at least how to stay in it? Someone who knows one end of a tactics board from the other?

Spurs seem to think that Roberto De Zerbi might fit two of those criteria and, apparently, they are currently begging the axed Marseille boss to save them. Which feels like something that could have been done last week, if it must be done at all.

The other option is Ben Davies. Or rather, just letting the squad manage themselves.

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Handing the lunatics the keys to the asylum sounds ludicrous, of course. Many Spurs fans might prefer this squad to be stoned in the street rather than be rewarded for their failures with almost full autonomy.

But it is perhaps the one thing Tottenham haven’t already tried.

This Spurs squad, evidently, does not like being managed. Not by Tudor; certainly not be Thomas Frank; and, towards the end, not by Ange Postecoglou.

Indeed, as the novelty of Postecoglou wore off and the exhaustion kicked in, his players seemed to take their management upon themselves when full-throttle Ange-ball appeared to all but the boss the wrong approach.

Micky van de Ven says he and Cristian Romero effectively organised Tottenham to sit in and defend their way to Europa League glory. Their management responsibilities, we assume, did not extend to the Premier League, in which they were rank. Only the games they won.

Davies would be the figurehead as the last remaining relic of a time Tottenham were not a complete shambles and as a 100-cap international who you might tuck into bed with your sister, he could be a very presentable face of whatever it is Spurs want to portray right now.

But, let’s have it right, Davies getting the gig would be management by committee. Which could as good as any as Tottenham’s least worst option.

Of course, appointing De Zerbi might work. At almost any other club, you might reasonably expect a fiery Italian’s arrival to galvanise an obviously-talented-if-highly-flawed squad to claw together enough points to remain over the next seven matches the fourth-worst team in the Premier League.

De Zerbi, though, doesn’t tolerate fools, can’t abide non-conformists. And Spurs, well…

Were he to take over in the summer, as seemingly is his self-preserving preference, a demanding authoritarian to shake up and reshape an underperforming squad could be a good fit.

But more immediately, De Zerbi is not the coolest of heads in an emergency, or even amid an outbreak of mild concern. He’s a fire starter more than a fire fighter. Right now, there is a fair chance that Spurs are using petrol to put out a raging dumpster blaze.

And on what basis are we assuming he could have an immediate impact?

Tudor was binned for gathering a single point in his first five games in the Premier League. At Brighton, De Zerbi was similarly winless in his first five, collecting only one more point from the 15 available when he replaced Graham Potter mid-season in 2022.

We know this Spurs squad is not the most malleable and De Zerbi’s methods tend to require time to take effect, even with a willing and open-minded bunch of players. In the absence of both during these desperate times, perhaps it is a time for more desperate measures, and a player-led vibes-over-tactics approach.

There are reportedly four reasons behind Roberto De Zerbi’s decision to change his mind on joining Spurs before the end of this season.

Spurs have been linked with several left-field options to replace Igor Tudor, with Harry Redknapp, Tim Sherwood, Chris Hughton and Ben Davies mentioned as possible interim solutions.

But it has been widely reported that former Marseille and Brighton boss De Zerbi has always been Tottenham’s preferred replacement for Tudor, though a move initially looked unlikely before the end of this season.

However, after officially parting company with Tudor on Sunday, it has emerged that Spurs are making a huge effort to make De Zerbi U-turn on returning to management for the run-in.

On Monday morning, it started to emerge that De Zerbi had begun to ‘express his openness’ on joining Spurs now, and talkSPORT reporters Alex Crook and Ben Jacobs later revealed that an ‘agreement is close’ between the two parties.

READ: Tottenham ‘dream’ scenario emerges as Arsenal curse strikes and ‘England star’ appointed

Crook said on X: EXC: @talkSPORT understands Roberto de Zerbi now close to an agreement with #THFC on a five-year contract. With @JacobsBen.’

‘RDZ has initially planned to wait until the summer as previously reported but talks have been positive in the past 24 hours.’

Jacobs added on X: ‘BREAKING: Roberto De Zerbi is now close to an agreement with Spurs following a breakthrough in talks. Five-year contract on offer.

‘De Zerbi had told Spurs last week he wanted to wait until summer, but a lucrative long-term deal has made him open to taking the job now.’

TalkSPORT have also reported that a ‘significant survival bonus and signing-on fee’ have been put to De Zerbi from Spurs, with journalist Rudy Galetti revealing three other reasons behind the manager’s U-turn.

Galletti said on X: ‘Roberto De Zerbi is closing in on Tottenham after Tudor’s exit.

‘A lucrative deal and assurances of major summer investment to reshape the squad to his vision in case of survival are key factors, along with a relatively favourable run-in compared to relegation rivals.’

Reporter Nicolo Schira, meanwhile, claims De Zerbi is already ‘working to build and complete his staff’ at Spurs, but club legend Chris Waddle has explained why he thinks his former club is doomed for relegation regardless.

“I don’t think a new manager at Tottenham changes a thing. The players aren’t good enough and that isn’t going to change if a new manager comes in,” Waddle told 10Bet.

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“I’m looking at the squad, looking at individuals that don’t look like they’ve got the stomach or the ability to pull the club out of the hole it’s in.

“I had some great years at Tottenham and have a lot of affection for the club. I have a huge amount of respect for the fans and feel for them – it’s sad to watch what has happened to the club this season.

“Look at the managers that Tottenham have had in recent years. Antonio Conte. Jose Mourinho. These are proven winners. Did anything change? It’s not about the managers; it’s about changing the culture at the top of the club.

“Tottenham have the best stadium in the country and the best training facilities. They don’t have the best players and until the board changes its recruitment policy, then the club will always struggle. They won’t ever be able to challenge at the top end of the table.

“Look at the recruitment. £30m for Conor Gallagher in January. No disrespect to Gallagher, but if Athletico were happy to let him go after a season and a half, then alarm bells should be ringing.

“Semenyo. Guehi. These are players that Tottenham could have signed. Ready-made players.

“It must be heartbreaking for Tottenham fans to see good Premier League players linked with other clubs, Tonali at Newcastle for instance, and know that they will not be able to sign them.

“Don’t blame the manager for Tottenham’s problems. It isn’t Igor Tudor’s fault. The people that run the club must take responsibility.

“Tottenham are in a fight. They’ve got seven games to save their season. The only people that can save them now are the players. Players need to roll up their sleeves. Win their individual battles. Its back-to-basics stuff.

“Am I confident they will do it? Nothing I’ve seen from this group of players convinces me that Tottenham will be playing Premier League football next season.”