Inside Futbol

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Former Tottenham Hotspur star Jamie O’Hara has urged Roberto De Zerbi to focus on organisation first at Spurs, with structure taking priority over tactical complexity.

Tottenham appointed De Zerbi on a five-year deal earlier this week, with the former Marseille boss stepping in to replace Igor Tudor, whose ill-fated spell did not produce a league win.

After 31 Premier League games, the Lilywhites are currently sitting 17th with 30 points, just one point above the drop zone and there have been real worries at the club over possible relegation.

With only seven games remaining, the immediate task for the Italian manager is to stabilise performances and stay in the league.

O’Hara stressed that De Zerbi must prioritise organisation above everything else, with only a handful of games remaining and the focus on setting a clear system, structure and pressing approach rather than overcomplicating tactics.

He also pointed out that establishing a defined formation, making the team harder to beat, pressing collectively and maximising key players such as Xavi Simons in the number ten role should be the immediate priorities, which he believes are things Tudor did not do.

O’Hara said on talkSPORT (9.05): “Organising the team is the first thing.

PL game Sunderland (A) Brighton (H) Wolves (A) Aston Villa (A) Leeds United (H) Chelsea (A) Everton (H) Tottenham’s remaining PL games

“You’ve got seven games coming, go 4-2-3-1, organise the formation. This is the formation we’re playing, this is where I want you to stand, this is how I want you to press.

“Get that organised first and foremost.

“Forget the other stuff in terms of how we’re going to play out from the back, that will come. But from now, we’re going to be hard to beat and we’re going to press together.

“Play Xavi Simons as a number 10, get the best out of him, and then you’ve got three things straight away that Igor Tudor didn’t do.”

Under Tudor, who left the Spurs job before De Zerbi’s arrival, the team played in a 3-4-3 formation but failed to win any games during his short tenure, earning just one point from five matches.

De Zerbi’s preferred formation is 4-2-3-1, and his teams often try to dominate possession using a 3-2-5 structure.

His previous Premier League experience came at Brighton & Hove Albion, where he also took charge without a pre-season to prepare the team.

As the replacement for Graham Potter, he took charge of the Seagulls in September 2022 and needed six games to secure his first win, highlighting the time required to implement his style.

De Zerbi will need to hit the ground running as Spurs cannot afford a period of adaptation ahead of must-win games.

While Spurs fans have delighted at the appointment, former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has played down De Zerbi, insisting he is not yet an elite manager.

Arsenal legend Martin Keown playfully suggested that Tottenham could have looked at bringing back Thomas Frank as boss.

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Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has played down just what a coup Tottenham Hotspur have pulled off by appointing Roberto De Zerbi as their new boss.

While De Zerbi has yet to win a major trophy in one of Europe’s top leagues, he has built his reputation through spells at clubs such as Sassuolo, Brighton & Hove Albion and Marseille, largely due to his attacking philosophy.

The Italian manager has now been appointed as Spurs’ new boss following the departure of Igor Tudor, signing a long-term deal until 2031.

Following his appointment, he has reportedly become one of the highest paid managers in the Premier League, despite Tottenham being at risk of the drop.

With seven matches remaining, attention is now on De Zerbi and whether he can keep Spurs in the Premier League.

The Lilywhites are currently 17th in the table with 30 points, just one point above the relegation zone.

Spurs getting De Zerbi has been talked up in some quarters as a real coup, but Jordan does not see it that way and believes the Italian is not an elite manager at the moment.

Person Position Roberto De Zerbi Manager Bruno Saltor Assistant Andreas Georgson Assistant Fabian Otte Goalkeeping coach Dean Brill Goalkeeping coach Current Tottenham backroom staff key positions

He also pointed to comparisons with Marco Silva, indicating that De Zerbi is at a similar stage in his career, while adding that Tottenham’s current situation could ultimately benefit the Italian, given the scale of the opportunity and the financial rewards involved.

Jordan said on talkSPORT (8:29): “De Zerbi is not that big a deal. I mean, he’s managed Shakhtar Donetsk, Brighton and Marseille.

“I mean, we’re not talking about Carlo Ancelotti here.

“We’re talking about a manager that’s on his way up.

“We’re talking about a manager like Marco Silva that cut his bones at Hull City and he’s now getting bigger opportunities and people would consider Marco Silva to be as successful a manager as De Zerbi, but he’s managing Fulham.

“Tottenham is an infinitely bigger football club that’s got itself into an awful mess and they’re paying the price for it.

“And the beneficiary of that is De Zerbi and his bank balance.”

De Zerbi’s previous experience in the Premier League saw the Seagulls finish sixth in the 2022/23 season, their highest ever finish in the top flight, and qualify for European football for the first time in the club’s history.

Having signed a long term deal there will be an expectation on De Zerbi and Spurs to continue their association even if the club drop down into the Championship.

The Italian though would be likely to see a player exodus if Spurs lose their Premier League status, meaning a significant rebuilding job will be needed.

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Sweden coach Graham Potter is ‘expected to build the Swedish midfield around’ Tottenham Hotspur star Lucas Bergvall at the World Cup this summer.

The Sweden international was attracting interest from mammoth clubs when he was younger and Catalan giants Barcelona were keen on him.

However, he decided to join north London club Tottenham instead and turned down interest from the Blaugrana.

Bergvall arrived at the club in 2024, when he was only 18, and has already played 73 senior matches for the Lilywhites, being given a vote of confidence early into his time by then Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou.

The recently turned 20-year-old central midfielder has also featured eight times for the Sweden national team.

He suffered an injury in late January and returned to action for Spurs in their 3-0 loss against Nottingham Forest before the March international break.

Bergvall played 21 minutes against Poland on Tuesday in their World Cup playoff tie, as Potter’s men made it to the World Cup in the summer.

England-based player Club Melker Elborg Sunderland Victor Lindelof Aston Villa Gabriel Gudmundsson Leeds United Lucas Bergvall Tottenham Hotspur Yasin Ayari Brighton Anthony Elanga Newcastle United Viktor Gyokeres Arsenal England-based players in latest Sweden squad

And now, according to Swedish daily Aftonbladet, the Sweden coach is expected to build his midfield around Bergvall at the World Cup.

The 20-year-old’s cameo against Poland received plaudits as he impressed with his display against Jan Urban’s side.

Bergvall’s overall display on Tuesday night caught eyeballs and the Spurs midfielder is expected to be a key cog in Potter’s system.

The former West Ham United boss also wants to see another Spurs player return from injury in the shape of Dejan Kulusevski, who has not played at all this season.

Bergvall’s performances are attracting major transfer interest, as the likes of Chelsea, Aston Villa and Liverpool were linked with him in the winter window.

Their interest has not gone away, but Spurs secured the Swede’s future with a new contract, which they offered last year to extend his stay until 2031.

Tottenham are currently desperately trying to stay up under their new boss, Roberto De Zerbi, and in the event of relegation, Bergvall may well not want to play in the Championship.

His former sides, in the shape of Brommapojkarna and Djurgarden, could well hope for the 20-year-old’s switch sooner rather than later, as both clubs would net a share of any fee.

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Former Marseille star Frank Leboeuf has urged Tottenham Hotspur to look beyond Roberto De Zerbi, suggesting the Italian may not suit the current demands, with a stronger, more authoritative presence needed to drag them clear of the relegation fight.

Last season, De Zerbi took over Marseille in June and guided the French giants to a top-two finish in his debut campaign.

However, this year, Les Olympiens find themselves in a much less favourable position, eleven points adrift of the summit, prompting the Italian tactician to depart in January following a league-phase exit from the Champions League and thrashing by Paris Saint-Germain.

Tottenham recently parted ways with Igor Tudor after the Croatian lost four of his first five league matches, leaving the Lilywhites teetering just one point above the drop zone, with a former Lilywhite demanding accountability from those who handed him the reins.

With Spurs on the brink of a first Premier League exit since 1977 and two weeks until their next fixture against Sunderland, speculation linking the former Brighton manager with the job at N17 has ignited.

The former Marseille star questioned whether appointing the 46-year-old would be the right move for Spurs, noting that while the Italian made an immediate impact at Stade Velodrome, he ultimately fell short of expectations over time.

Leboeuf suggested Spurs’ recent reliance on more player-friendly coaches has not delivered the required results and implied that a different managerial profile may now be needed.

Club Manner of departure Palermo Sacked Benevento Left Sassuolo Left Shakhtar Donetsk Left Brighton Mutual termination Marseille Sacked Roberto De Zerbi’s club exits

The 58-year-old added that a more authoritative figure capable of enforcing accountability across the Tottenham players could be necessary, particularly with the threat of relegation looming large.

When asked whether De Zerbi would be a good fit, Leboeuf said on ESPN FC (12:11): “I don’t know.

“I mean, it worked at first when he came to Marseille.

“When he first came, again, he did the job and did nothing to complain about, but in the length of his work, we have seen that he didn’t manage to go to all the expectations that we had.

“And no, I don’t think it works.

“They’ve been through many coaches who show kindness to the players, who are like coach-friends, and they need maybe somebody else, maybe somebody who can threaten them, maybe with the coach, with the president, with the chairman, with the board, saying, ‘You know what, if we are relegated, nobody leaves, you’re going to play in the Championship.’

“Now we’re going to see who the warriors are, and that’s how I would see the thing

“Because you have to make a change.”

With seven games left and no manager in charge, all eyes are on who the Spurs hierarchy will turn to in the battle to keep Tottenham in the Premier League, as talks behind the scenes gather pace.

Tottenham are pulling out all the stops to win De Zerbi over, but the Italian tactician has been hesitant, with the coming hours set to be decisive as he weighs his decision.

Next up is a trip to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland, who have been virtually untouchable at home, unbeaten in 12 of their 15 league outings, setting the stage for a fierce test of nerve for the north London side.

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Tottenham Hotspur face needing to pay €40m if they are to be able to convince Galatasaray to part with midfielder Gabriel Sara this summer, amid competition from Brighton.

Spurs are going through a terrible season and they are fighting hard to keep their Premier League status intact as they sit 17th in the league table with only one point clear of West Ham United.

They have just parted ways with Igor Tudor and are on the hunt for a new manager to try to keep them afloat.

Former Tottenham star Gus Poyet recently put a 50 per cent chance on Spurs surviving in the Premier League.

However, their uncertainty regarding their future is not stopping Tottenham from planning for next season, as they have three Galatasaray players on their wish list in the form of goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, midfielder Gabriel Sara and winger Baris Alper Yilmaz.

Sara joined Galatasaray from Norwich City in the summer of 2024 and the Turkish giants paid a hefty fee in the region of €23m for the player.

It was suggested that the north London outfit scouted Sara during Galatasaray’s Champions League encounter against Liverpool at Anfield early this month.

Tottenham Hotspur will need to fork out €40m to sign Gabriel Sara, also wanted by Brighton, from Galatasaray.

Scored against Goztepe (H) Kasimpasa (H) Karagumruk (A) – two Kayserispor (H) Gabriel Sara’s Turkish Super Lig goals this season

Spurs have started working on a deal to bring the Brazilian back to English soil next summer, but they might have to dig deep into their pocket to do that.

According to Turkish daily Sabah, Galatasaray will not entertain offers less than €40m for the midfielder.

Tottenham will face competition from the Premier League in the form of Brighton and the Seagulls are planning to submit an official offer at the end of the season.

Sara has been a regular for Galatasaray in the ongoing season and has managed to find the back of the net on five occasions while delivering two assists in 24 outings.

He has kicked on since his switch from Norwich City and a move to the Premier League is likely to be an appealing one for the midfielder.

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Tottenham Hotspur star Mathys Tel’s agent has revealed the player’s love for Bayern Munich and insists that he could not return to the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund as a result.

Tel signed for Spurs last summer in a £30m move, after spending the earlier half of the year on loan with the club and impressing sufficiently.

The move has soured quickly though, with Tel said to be unhappy with game-time at Spurs, as Borussia Dortmund joined a host of names being linked with the Frenchman.

Tel’s agent Gadiri Camara quickly shot down the links to Borussia Dortmund, admitting that he is unsure if there is any mileage to the suggestion.

Stressing unequivocally of Tel’s love for Bayern Munich, Camara declared that Tel will consider a move back to Germany only in the event that the Bavarians come knocking.

Camara was quoted as saying by Absolut Bayern (via TZ): “I don’t know if Dortmund really want Mathys, but honestly, a return to Bayern is the only way Mathys will come back to Germany.

“He can’t play for any other club in the Bundesliga.

“He loves FC Bayern!”

Paris FC were linked with Tel in the winter window, with the French club said to be viewing him as an ‘absolute dream transfer target’.

Roma were also said to be pushing hard for Tel at the same time, but Tottenham ultimately kept hold of their player.

Tel has started all of the last three fixtures for Spurs, but has been unable to affect his club’s fortunes by a great deal, with Tottenham seemingly trapped in quicksand as they sink in the standings.

The winger has now withdrawn from international duty with a thigh concern, adding to Spurs’ injury list with manager Igor Tudor having bemoaned that he has not seen anything like this.

Spurs are embroiled in a four-way relegation battle and discussion about Tel’s future will surely be put on the back burner until safety is assured or denied.

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Tottenham Hotspur have been told ‘there will be no quick agreement’ with former Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl.

The 46-year-old departed his post at the Ruhr giants recently with immediate effect and now he is in the market to join a new club, with the deal-maker expected to have a number of options.

Already there is interest in Kehl, with Hamburg having had him in their sights, while Wolfsburg are also keen to bring him on board.

Tottenham, who recently saw sporting director Fabio Paratici depart, are another potential destination for Kehl and they are interested.

However, according to German daily Bild, ‘there will be no quick agreement with Kehl’ for Tottenham.

It is suggested that it is ‘hard to imagine’ that the proposed set-up at Tottenham, with more than one sporting director, would suit the German.

While helping to rebuild a crumbling Spurs side may well appeal to Kehl, the sporting director would want to make sure the right environment was present before he takes his next post.

Club Years Hannover 1998-2000 Freiburg 2000-2001 Borussia Dortmund 2002-2015 Sebastian Kehl’s career history

Kehl was a legendary figure as a player at Dortmund and shone as part of Jurgen Klopp’s side at the club.

His spell as sporting director at Dortmund ran from the summer of 2022 through until earlier this month and came after a stint as the club’s head of first team football.

Kehl is qualified as a coach, having earned his coaching license up to UEFA’s A level, something which may make him well suited to leading the search for a new manager at Tottenham in the summer.

However, any new sporting director at Tottenham may well need to wait until the summer when the north London side know which league they will be operating in.

One former Tottenham star believes it is now 50-50 whether Spurs will avoid being relegated this season.

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Experienced manager Sam Allardyce believes that Tottenham Hotspur skipper Cristian Romero needs embarrassing due to his poor disciplinary record at the north London side.

Romero has had multiple disciplinary issues to deal with during his four-and-a-half year stay at Tottenham.

He has received two red cards this season, one a direct one against Manchester United in February and the other as a result of two yellow cards against Liverpool back in December.

Romero has also been booked ten times across all competitions this season and was warned by a former Premier League defender about how he should be behaving on the pitch.

The Argentine has been getting the backing of his managers, though, and boss Thomas Frank revealed in December that the 27-year-old was working on bringing coolness to his game.

Romero was recently unavailable for Spurs in Premier League games against Newcastle United, Arsenal, Fulham and Crystal Palace due to suspension.

Allardyce is unhappy with Romero’s disciplinary record and insists if he was the manager at Tottenham then the Argentine would not be getting sent off.

He stressed that he would constantly be on Romero’s back in training and would embarrass him in training to get him in line.

Premier League job Bolton Wanderers Newcastle United Blackburn Rovers West Ham United Sunderland Crystal Palace Everton West Brom Leeds United Sam Allardyce’s Premier League jobs

“They [Romero and Van de Ven] wouldn’t get sent off with me because I would be straight in their face”, Allardyce said on No Tippy Tappy Football (39.15).

“Romero, I would be the biggest pain in his a**.

“Because every day when he is in training and he goes on his a** I would go ‘Stay on your feet’ you idiot’.

“Now I am talking about embarrassing him because he needs embarrassing.

“I think he would be bothered if you are embarrassing him in front of the rest.

“I think sometimes you have to embarrass a player by saying, ‘What are you doing? Stay on your feet. I don’t want you to tackle. I am telling you what I want you to do, stay on your feet .’

“I’d say if you want to play you stay on your feet.”

Romero completed the full 90 minutes in Tottenham’s 3-0 drubbing at home by Nottingham Forest on Sunday and avoided going into the referee’s notebook.

If Tottenham now part ways with Igor Tudor, who has failed to lead them to a single Premier League win, Allardyce could potentially be in the conversation as an emergency appointment given his reputation as a survival expert.

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Darren Bent has admitted he is worried about what effect dropping into the bottom three, even temporarily, would have mentally on Tottenham Hotspur.

Nottingham Forest went to north London and blew Spurs away with a 3-0 Premier League win on Sunday which deepens relegation worries for Igor Tudor’s men.

Spurs had been looking at the game to start their climb up the table and away from danger, but they were clearly second best on the day.

The result leaves Tottenham sitting just a point above third from bottom West Ham and two points behind Nottingham Forest.

They now have seven league games left to save their Premier League status and avoid a disastrous drop into the Championship.

With West Ham in action before Tottenham play again, by the time Spurs take to the pitch again they may have dropped into the bottom three.

Bent is concerned for Tottenham if that was to happen as he believes that the Spurs players are less mentally well equipped to deal with it than their rivals.

The ex-striker is sure that the Tottenham players will never have mentally expected to be in a relegation battle.

Bent said on talkSPORT (22nd March, 16:14): “I do worry if Spurs drop into the bottom three, even if it’s for a game.

“Look at the teams that are down there, no disrespect to Burnley, they have been there before and they know what it takes in terms of trying to get out of there, that mentality.

“Forest have been down there, West Ham have been, relegated not too long ago.

“Spurs, it probably never crossed their mentality this season that they’d be in this position.

“They’ve got good players, but I just wonder if they have got the right kind of mentality for this type of fight.

“So far the signs of that are no.”

Former Premier League striker Neil Mellor recently revealed he can absolutely see Tottenham going down, comparing them unfavourably with Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Leeds United.

Spurs have another three home games this season, with Brighton, Leeds and Everton all due to visit north London.

Tottenham have lost 15 games so far this term, out of their 31 league fixtures, and conceded 50 goals.

Last season, Tottenham lost 22 games, but won eleven, while so far they have won just seven matches.

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Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent has pointed the finger at Kevin Danso for Nottingham Forest‘s third goal against Spurs and dubbed his defending ‘weak’.

Spurs were looking to build on a positive display in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid when they welcomed Nottingham Forest to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday.

Igor Tudor though oversaw another dismal display as Nottingham Forest grew into the game, dominated and ran out 3-0 winners.

Forest took the lead on the stroke of half-time through Igor Jesus, while Morgan Gibbs-White then added a second just after the hour mark.

Substitute Taiwo Awoniyi then added a third three minutes from time to pile more pain and pressure onto Tottenham.

Tudor picked Danso in the heart of defence for Spurs, leaving Radu Dragusin on the bench, and he completed the full 90 minutes.

Bent was not impressed with how Danso defended for Nottingham Forest’s third goal and dubbed it ‘weak’.

He said on talkSPORT (22nd March, 16:06): “Great pass from Nico Williams and for Taiwo Awoniyi, great finish.

“The defending there from Danso, weak, letting him get behind him, not getting his body across as well.

“For Nottingham Forest, wow, what a result that is.”

Bent believes that Tottenham have real problems when it comes to being able to defend and thinks they are too easy for sides to play against.

The ex-striker added: “Defensively that has been their problem. Can’t keep clean sheets, too easy to play against and awful at home.”

Tottenham now have the international break to lick their wounds and try to rally themselves to bounce back.

Xavi Simons impressed for Tottenham against Atletico Madrid and was lauded for his performance, but Tudor started with him on the bench against Nottingham Forest.