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Roberto De Zerbi has a huge task on his hands to keep Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

The former Brighton boss was named fairly swiftly as Tottenham’s new manager following the sacking of Igor Tudor, with his announcement sparking mixed reactions.

On one hand, a manager of his experience in the Premier League should benefit Spurs in their battle against relegation, but his lack of experience in the current predicament could prove costly.

Nevertheless, De Zerbi is now tasked with keeping Tottenham in the Premier League, and there are several things he must do to ensure that he achieves that

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Roberto De Zerbi must avoid repeat of Brighton start

De Zerbi did a sublime job with the Seagulls between 2022 and 2024, where he had Brighton averaging 1.51 points per game throughout the 89 games he was in charge.

They picked up 134 points under his stewardship, which is more than Tottenham have managed in their last three Premier League campaigns.

However, it wasn’t all sunshine and flowers for the Italian at the AMEX, with De Zerbi failing to win any of his first five games in charge of the Seagulls.

Should he repeat that record at Spurs with just seven games to go, relegation is almost certainly nailed on.

Tottenham have a major xG concern

With 6.26 xG in the Premier League this season, Richarlison leads the way for Tottenham, having scored nine goals in that time.

Next on the list is Micky van de Ven with 2.5, showcasing a major drop in quality in the final third.

Last season, Spurs finished the campaign with eight different players having recorded an xG in the top flight of three or more.

Dominic Solanke had 11 xG, while Brennan Johnson was the only other player in North London to have recorded double figures for that metric.

While there are still seven games to go, it should be a major concern for De Zerbi that that number has now dropped to just one player.

Xavi Simons must be utilised correctly at Tottenham

Xavi Simons has been disappointing since his move in the summer, but a lot of that comes down to where he has been played.

The Dutchman has been played out of position for 25 per cent of the games he has featured in this season, with just one goal contribution in that time.

When played centrally, which is by far his best spot in the team, Simons has five goals and five assists.

His creativity could be key to survival, but De Zerbi simply needs to utilise him properly.

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario may be heading for a summer exit after agreeing personal terms with Inter Milan.

That is according to Italian publication L’Interista, which states the 29-year-old has received a four-year contract worth around £3million per season.

To many Tottenham fans, this may come as a surprise as the Italy international is enduring a wretched season for the north London outfit.

While many Tottenham players have not been good enough in 2025-26, Vicario is right up there among their top underperformers.

Even if Roberto De Zerbi’s side secures Premier League safety at the end of the campaign, it may be best for Tottenham and Vicario to head their separate ways in the summer.

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Guglielmo Vicario’s Italy reaction comes back to haunt him

Tottenham signed Vicario from Empoli for around £17m in 2023, and it is said that Inter are prepared to bid a similar amount this summer.

This is despite the Italian having the third-worst save percentage in the Premier League this season, with only Wolves’ Sam Johnstone (62.9%) and Leeds United’s Lucas Perri (60.3%) posting inferior numbers.

When Vicario made a hash of trying to keep out Dominik Szoboszlai’s free-kick in Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool last month, that was the 11th time he had conceded from outside the box this season.

That was four more than any other keeper in the division, and when it comes to his goals prevented numbers, the stats are alarming. For keepers who had played a minimum of 1,000 minutes in the league this season, Vicario was at the bottom of the pile with -4.79.

What may not help Tottenham’s cause is the fact that backup stopper Antonin Kinsky had a horror show performance in their 5-2 Champions League last-16 first leg loss to Atletico Madrid.

So, do they stick with Vicario? In recent days, footage has circulated of Vicario celebrating Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup semi-final play-off win over Wales last week.

Now that Bosnia have ended Italy’s World Cup qualifying dream, with a penalty shootout win on Tuesday, Vicario’s woes are complete, with egg all over his face.

Sink or swim for Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham

Tottenham wanted to recruit former Brighton and Marseille boss De Zerbi over the summer but have brought in the Italian now on a five-year deal.

James Maddison was among the Tottenham stars to react favourably to the news, with the 46-year-old tasked with keeping Spurs in the Premier League.

They are just one point and one place above the bottom three, with the Italian having seven games to save Tottenham’s season.

Tottenham haven’t won in the league since 28 December, back when Thomas Frank – their first manager of the season – was in charge.

Spurs will hope their third appointment of the campaign, after Igor Tudor’s disappointing stint, proves to be their most successful.

The former Shakhtar Donetsk manager has a huge task on his hands. One of which will be getting the best out of Vicario, which may not be an easy challenge.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been urged to get behind Roberto De Zerbi amid the controversy over his appointment.

Spurs confirmed the Italian as their new boss on 31 March, and his remit will be to save the Lilywhites from relegation.

However, the appointment did not go down well with all supporters due to his support of Mason Greenwood while he was the Marseille manager.

Several fan groups spoke out against the potential of De Zerbi taking charge after Igor Tudor’s sacking, but the club have pressed on and made their move despite the fury.

Tottenham need the support to be united at the moment, as they try to get away from the relegation battle in the final few weeks of the season, but they may have alienated a portion of the fanbase.

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Why is De Zerbi the right appointment despite fan anger?

John Wenham believes that while the concerns need smoothing over, Tottenham made the right decision hiring De Zerbi as he is the most likely candidate to keep them in the top-flight

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, he said: “What it effectively is, the Tottenham Supporters Trust, with some smaller groups, such as Proud Lilywhites and a Spurs women’s group, have come together and released statements condemning the appointment, saying they had meetings with the club the night before it was confirmed, and that they are disappointed.

“Those concerns do need to be heard, and discussed, and worked through with the club, but all the focus right now needs to be on all the fans getting behind the manager of the club, in unison, doing everything we can to get us out of the awful situation we are in.

“With De Zerbi in charge, Tottenham are far more likely to get out of this relegation scrap than they were carrying on with Igor Tudor, or with any of the other names linked. He was the best name available on the market, who could come in and hit the ground running.”

How can De Zerbi get supporters back on board?

De Zerbi could start to get supporters who are not happy on board by making a public apology for the comments.

That may not appease all the anger, as some people will still be furious that he made them in the first place, but it is a start.

Then, results on the pitch will surely make some forget about the controversy too, if he can get Spurs back up the table, away from the drop zone, that will certainly help.

He faces a tough task to convince some of the fanbase that he is the right man for the post, but if he gets the N17 club back to where they belong, rather than in a relegation battle, that will do his stock no harm.

Roberto De Zerbi is generating strong interest inside the Tottenham Hotspur dressing room following his appointment.

The Italian arrives in North London with Spurs locked in a relegation battle in the Premier League, hovering above the drop zone with limited time to turn the campaign around.

Igor Tudor’s time at the club came to an end after just over a month on Sunday, with the Croatian unable to put out the fires during his short stint – failing to win a single Premier League match.

A fiery character, De Zerbi will look to spark a reaction among the group, after the squad’s mentality has been questioned throughout the season.

Former Liverpool, Brighton and Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana believes that the 46-year-old will do exactly that.

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Adam Lallana reveals Tottenham questions about Roberto De Zerbi

De Zerbi’s career in England began in 2022, when he arrived at Brighton following Graham Potter’s move to Chelsea.

Making an instant impact on the South Coast, De Zerbi would fire the Seagulls into the Europa League, playing some of the best football across the division.

Having played under the Italian at the Amex, Lallana believes that Tottenham are in a strong position with the appointment, and did not hesitate when asked about their survival chances.

“Definitely. Not even a doubt in my mind,” he told TalkSPORT, before outlining that questions have been sent his way regarding working under De Zerbi.

“I was speaking to a player at Spurs who was picking my brains about him,” he said. “I just know they’re going to be in for a rollercoaster, but a great one.”

The former England international also went on to compare De Zerbi’s personality to that of Jurgen Klopp, highlighting similarities in their behaviour behind the scenes.

“I always compared him with Jurgen, actually. I think tactically they’re completely different, but in terms of love and passion for football, they’re exactly the same,” said Lallana.

“He knows he’s got to go in there and motivate a group of men. After five minutes of speaking when he joined Brighton, I was on board.”

With Tottenham out of the FA Cup and Champions League, De Zerbi now has over a week to prepare for his first fixture, as Spurs travel to the North East to face newly promoted Sunderland.

Tottenham dressing room buy-in will be the biggest factor in survival battle

As is now a well-known fact, the Spurs squad simply did not take to Tudor or his ideas, leaving the Lilywhites in an even worse position than when he took over from Thomas Frank in February.

The mentality among the group has come under fire consistently this season, particularly during the time spent under Tudor.

But now, they simply have to buy in to De Zerbi’s ideas, and fast.

As proven throughout spells at previous clubs, the 46-year-old is a fiery and combustible chatacter, who will not react all too well if there isn’t the immediate buy-in, even given the far from ideal circumstance he has walked in on.

Questions are there regarding his long-term value, given that his longest tenure of three years in a single position came at Sassuolo over half a decade ago, but he is the type of character who will want to see an immediate reaction.

Sitting a point above the drop zone, Tottenham need results quickly. The most important factor now is that the squad work with De Zerbi, and drag the club out of the mess they are in.

Conor Gallagher appears to be in real trouble already at Tottenham Hotspur.

The appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as the club’s new head coach on a five-year contract will signal a bold new era in N17, provided they can avoid Premier League relegation.

Spurs splashed out £35million to snap up Gallagher from Atletico Madrid in January, but with every passing match, that deal looks more and more like a panic buy.

The midfielder has had next to no impact and rightly found himself on the bench in each of the last four matches. The bottom line is that he can also have absolutely no complaints.

De Zerbi takes charge of his first Tottenham match against Sunderland on April 12, and judging from Gallagher’s current slump, he will be lucky to see any minutes at all.

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Conor Gallagher outclassed by Archie Gray

On the other hand, Archie Gray, who will compete with Gallagher for a spot in the Italian’s starting XI, delivered an outstanding performance for England Under-21s against Moldova.

Watching on from a distance, Gallagher will have had his head in his hands.

He has made just 11 appearances for Spurs, failing to score and registering just one assist. In the Premier League, he has an 80.5 pass success rate, but has not stamped his authority.

While his dribble success stands at 62.5 per cent, Gallagher simply hasn’t done enough to arrest Spurs’ concerning slump, while his 45.1 per cent duel win rate is poor.

Having taken just 364 top-flight touches, he places in the bottom 10 per cent in comparison to every other midfielder in the league, confirming that too many games are passing him by.

In contrast, Gray is shining and deserves plenty of minutes under De Zerbi.

Only one of the two midfielders will likely start in a double pivot, with the new head coach known to favour a ball-playing operator alongside a more defensive-minded team-mate.

Once again, it raises questions over why Tottenham signed Gallagher at all.

Gray steals the show for England

Gray deserves much more credit for his performances this season, which have sadly gone under the radar in light of the wider failings around him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, he was head and shoulders above his U-21 peers at Carrow Road on Tuesday and capped off a superb display with a goal, smashing into the roof of the net on 61 minutes.

With a 94 per cent pass accuracy, the 20-year-old stole the show, while he completed 72 passes and three of his five attempted long balls, helping the Young Lions stay in control.

He also did his part defensively, recovering 10 balls and winning three of four ground duels.

Clearly, then, he is in pole position to get the nod from De Zerbi, which raises serious questions over Gallagher’s role – both now and beyond the summer.

Roberto De Zerbi could bring up to seven coaches as he takes charge of Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham announced that the Italian manager had been chosen as the man to take over from Igor Tudor on 31 March.

The 46-year-old is charged with turning Spurs’ season around and taking them away from a potential relegation to the Championship.

The Lilywhites currently sit in 17th place in the Premier League, just one point above the final place in the drop zone, which is occupied by local rivals West Ham.

Tottenham finally have their man in the dugout, but De Zerbi‘s coaching team in North London is yet to be confirmed.

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Who could follow De Zerbi to Tottenham?

With De Zerbi in place at Tottenham, work will now be underway to appoint his coaching team, who will help him to achieve his ambitions.

The former attacking midfielder brought seven coaches in when he joined Brighton in 2022, per Training Ground Guru, with two assistants in Andrea Maldera and Enrico Venturelli.

Three fitness coaches were added to his staff, Marcattilio Marcattilii, Vincenzo Teresa and Agostino Tibaudi.

Ricard Segarra was appointed as head goalkeeping coach, and Marcello Quinto was named as senior Professional Development Phase coach, to work with the club’s promising youngsters.

Could there be any pushback on coaches?

It remains to be seen whether he brings that many coaches in at Spurs, as too many changes could upset the applecart too much, and make the players turn against him.

He may only bring a few in before the end of the season, then oversee a full rebuild behind the scenes once their top-flight status is secure.

The report states that the N17 outfit have been making more club appointments rather than manager-focused ones, and that could put them in a bind if De Zerbi wants to put his own stamp on things.

The hierarchy at Hotspur Way may well waive their approach as they have already gone out of their way to appease the boss to get him to agree to join earlier than he wanted to.

He initially wanted to join in the summer, once Spurs’ fate was decided and it was known which league they would be playing in next season.

Roberto De Zerbi has been announced as Tottenham Hotspur‘s new manager, and the former Marseille and Brighton boss needs to hit the ground running in N17.

It was announced that De Zerbi has penned a long-term contract with Tottenham on Tuesday, locking himself in as Spurs boss for the foreseeable future.

Lilywhites chiefs were known to be targeting a summer appointment for the 46-year-old, but have been able to convince him to take the job now.

And what a job it is, as the Italian has just seven remaining Premier League games to keep Tottenham in the league.

De Zerbi’s previous two clubs have been Marseille and Brighton respectively, but did Tottenham’s new manager enjoy good starts with both of those teams?

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How did Roberto De Zerbi start with Marseille and Brighton?

De Zerbi has reportedly signed a five-year contract as Tottenham’s new manager, showing just how much mutual belief there is that this move will work out.

However, in order for that to do so, De Zerbi will know he must keep Spurs in the Premier League, as even from a financial perspective, Tottenham surely can’t afford to rip his contract up in the summer whatever happens.

Patience will not be afforded to him, not in what remains of this season anyway, as that luxury may only arrive in N17 if he can guide them to safety and begin the rebuild from there.

De Zerbi is renowned for having extremely complex tactics and pressing systems, which requires his players to be real students of the game if they want to get a grip on his requirements straight away.

So, can Spurs fans expect him to get a tune out of this Tottenham team straight away, well, the recent history books suggest he very well could.

Comparing his first 10 league games with both Brighton and Marseille, we can see a significant improvement in his respective sides’ record.

Beginning with Brighton in the 2022-23 season, De Zerbi’s Seagulls claimed just three wins from their opening 10 Premier League games, losing five and drawing two.

Brighton scored 17 goals and conceded 19 in that time too, but when we look across to his first 10 Ligue 1 games with Marseille in the 2024-25 season, we see notably better numbers.

Indeed, his Marseille team took six wins from their first 10 in Ligue 1 last term, drawing two and losing two respectively.

They also scored a whopping 23 goals in that time period, and conceded only 12, which is the kind of form he may well need with Tottenham if he’s going to keep them up.

De Zerbi almost granted Hollywood-esque first Tottenham game

Tottenham’s first match under De Zerbi will see them travel to Wearside to take on Sunderland on 12 April, in what is a good first test for the new boss.

However, the footballing deities almost blessed us with a dream first game as Spurs boss, as the very next game after Sunderland sees Brighton come to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

That would’ve been some way to kick his Lilywhites career off, especially if his team were to win that one.

Regardless, when that fixture does roll around, it’s sure to capture the imagination of fans and the media world alike.

Xavi Simons: Tottenham man is not the ‘world class’ star Rafael van der Vaart thought he saw

Xavi Simons’ was once hailed as a talent who was capable of becoming world-class – now, Dutch legend Rafael van der Vaart has gone back on those words on the Tottenham Hotspur man.

During the 2022-23 season, the ex-Tottenham star waxed lyrical about the then 19-year-old when he was firing in the goals and assists at PSV Eindhoven.

While he hadn’t translated his domestic form into European competitions, the Dutchman said it was a treat that the national side were able to call on the youngster – who went on to score 22 goals and add 11 assists in 48 games that campaign.

He said at the time, “Simons has world-class potential. I look at the potential. How good can someone become in the future? With Xavi Simons, everything makes me very happy.”

Now, Van der Vaart has been far less complimentary about Simons amid his struggles at relegation-threatened Tottenham.

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Xavi Simons struggling to adapt to the Premier League

During his time at RB Leipzig, Simons was a key player for the German team, scoring 22 goals and contributing 24 assists in 78 matches.

At Tottenham, he has nine goal contributions in 38 games in all competitions. In the Premier League, his numbers make for even worse reading.

Simons cost Tottenham a whopping £51.8million from Leipzig last summer but he hasn’t looked anywhere near that kind of player for the majority of the season.

According to Sofascore, he has created six big chances, his dribble success rate is down at 43 per cent, he loses the ball 11.5 times per game, and his total duels won is at 49 per cent.

He has an average rating in the Premier League this season of 6.86, and compared to his efforts at Leipzig last term (7.58), he is down on goals, assists, and big chances created. At the Bundesliga team, he had an Expected Goals tally of 5.11 but scored 10 times. At Tottenham, his xG is 2.33.

Now, Van der Vaart has laid into the 22-year-old.

“He disappoints me,” he told De Telegraaf. “I had expected much more from him. He wants so badly to show how good he is. That has the opposite effect.

“He was the young talent, and everyone was talking about him. He is still playing a bit like that. At Leipzig, he really had a good spell. Tottenham is nothing at all. After PSV, he also showed it in the Bundesliga.”

Fellow Netherlands legend Ruud Gullit also appears to have more questions than answers with Simons so far.

He added, “He is hyped. I still don’t really know how good he could be.”

Will Roberto De Zerbi help Simons and Tottenham?

Simons has worked under two Tottenham managers this season in Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor but hasn’t really come alive.

The slight Dutchman has seemingly struggled with the pace and physicality of the Premier League and now Roberto De Zerbi has been sworn in at Tottenham, it remains to be seen how Simons will be utilised.

The Italian has just seven games to save Tottenham’s season and spare them from relegation, with Spurs currently just one point and one place above the relegation zone.

The former Marseille and Brighton boss HAS to hit the ground running at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, else the consequences will be dire.

At Brighton, he failed to win any of his first five games before guiding them to Europe for the first time. De Zerbi cannot afford to have such a slow start at Tottenham, though.

He came in mid-season for the Seagulls, whereas at Marseille, the 46-year-old had a pre-season under his belt and made an encouraging start in France. This may well be the greatest test of his managerial career.

Tottenham Hotspur borrowed over £800million to build their stadium and secured a low interest rate, but Kieran Maguire is rightly worried that this could spike should relegation occur.

Daniel Levy made Spurs take multiple bank loans in the process of building the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with millions of debt left to pay.

The Lilywhites have seen their yearly losses increase since the move, which is only adding to the debt bill.

While the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium rakes in an improved matchday revenue over White Hart Lane, the money that was borrowed to make it still looms over ENIC till this day.

Relegation could be catastrophic for Tottenham’s finances as Maguire questions whether these loans will need to be paid off even quicker if the club drops out of the Premier League.

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Kieran Maguire raises important question on interest for loan payments

Tottenham know they will lose millions from relegation almost instantly, with multiple issues like broadcasting, sponsorship, and matchday revenue all predicted to plummet.

ENIC have chosen Roberto De Zerbi as the man to go with as Igor Tudor’s successor, and will be praying that the Italian can keep Spurs in the top-flight with just seven games to go.

While speaking on The Price of Football podcast, finance expert Maguire revealed some interesting figures on Spurs’ current incomings, but asked a frightening interest rate question.

Maguire said: “The issue with Spurs is that they borrowed over 800million from banks but they got this brand new stadium, and because the negotiated a very low interest rate, around 3.6% Spurs are paying interest of £27-28m per year.

“But their Matchday revenue is up by £90m a year, and their commercial revenue is up by £100m. One concern I have with Spurs is, is there a clause which says relegation means a break in the loan? Either it has to be renegotiated at a much higher rate, or the lender says we want our money back.”

Either way, for this specific matter, relegation looks like a lose-lose situation for Spurs in terms of their bank loan repayments, if a relegation clause were included in the loan deals.

It’s hard to see how ENIC could pay back an increased rate for the debt while receiving less revenue on the whole, which is expected in the Championship.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has ruined this club

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was one of the worst moves that the club has ever made. It seems like it was built on the foundation of expectancy for success, which is ironic, as the club had to wait almost 20 years for any type of silverware.

Matchday revenue has increased, but the running costs and more that ENIC now have to pay were always going to be unsustainable if the club were to drop out of the Champions League, let alone the Premier League.

It’s fair that no one saw a threat of relegation coming, because who truly did, but it will be the stadium before anything else that runs Spurs into the ground financially.

Maybe ENIC have some lightbulb idea that will reverse the yearly losses, but as Maguire alluded to, so long as the banks were footballing smart when lending the Lilywhites money, it could be curtains if relegation happens.

Tottenham Hotspur have been mocked by Daniel Levy one final time after their latest accounts revealed he handed himself a hefty pay rise before departing.

Levy was sensationally ousted as executive chairman after almost 25 years in the hot seat, following a damning sporting review which led to sweeping changes and a hard reset.

In March, CEO Vinai Venkatesham took a clear shot at the long-serving supremo, listing a host of problems he believed he had inherited that led to stagnation at the club.

Still, Levy was adamant that he had built Spurs into a “global heavyweight competing at the highest level”, and clearly, he deemed his efforts worthy of a sharp spike in pay.

Tottenham’s financial accounts make for alarming reading as they fight for their lives in the Premier League, and their former chairman’s actions will once again anger supporters.

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What was Daniel Levy’s Tottenham pay in 2024-25?

The headline from the document released on Tuesday revealed that Spurs’ post-tax loss increased by £68.5million to £94.7m in the period ending 30 June, 2025.

The fact that their total revenue and extra income bumped up to £565.3m will paper over these cracks, but Tottenham are sustaining losses and ENIC are in trouble.

Not that Levy appeared to realise it, though. Once again, he was the highest-paid director in the Premier League for 24-25 with a remuneration totalling £5.755m.

What is perhaps most eye-opening is his willingness to line his own pockets. His pay was inflated by roughly 30 per cent in comparison to the previous year (£3.7m).

While Levy will be given credit – and rightly so – for strong finances in multiple areas, he will ultimately be best remembered for the club’s alarming slump last season.

Spurs, of course, finished 17th in the Premier League, and despite winning the Europa League, their TV and media revenues nosedived by 23 per cent, from £165.9m to £127m.

Where do Tottenham go from here?

Damningly, Tottenham’s debts are now in excess of £800m – an eye-watering figure. Their bleak finances mean they now have one just course of action: staying in the Premier League.

Dropping into the Championship would be unthinkable for the ownership, who are already fighting countless fires across the books. Survival, therefore, is paramount.

More than 90 per cent of their £851.7m borrowings are fixed-rate with an average maturity of 17.6 years, which, for the foreseeable future, should help to protect their financial stability.

There is a little room for manoeuvre, then, but the walls are continuing to close in. Levy may have escaped with a bag stuffed full of cash, but he is just as culpable for the mess.