De Zerbi’s Spurs Face Critical Disruption at a Pivotal Moment

De Zerbi is an intensely passionate, direct, and ambitious manager who requires absolute commitment and full support from his board.

He has certainly received that support at Spurs, which makes his slow start all the more puzzling.

However, ahead of the season, I believed his primary challenge with so many diverse players arriving would be assembling individuals who function as a cohesive unit rather than a disjointed group.

I have faced similar situations myself, notably in my early days at Stoke, when I signed Gerry Taggart and Michael Duberry as a centre-back pairing. They were polar opposites in how they managed space on the pitch.

Gerry preferred to drop deep due to his lack of pace, whereas Michael relied on his speed and was unconcerned about the space he left behind.

Since I could not make Gerry quicker, common sense dictated that I had to persuade Michael to compromise on his natural pace and power, adapting his game to accommodate Gerry’s limitations instead.

We dedicated extensive time on the training ground until they finally operated in perfect harmony. Though fundamentally different, they recognized the necessity of functioning as a pair for the team’s benefit. Nevertheless, it still required considerable time for their understanding to fully develop.

For any manager attempting to build a successful squad by forging such combinations, the most essential requirement is time spent with the players.

It is possible for new players to settle quickly and for a team to start strongly simultaneously—similar to Sunderland last season or Brighton nearly every season following the loss of key players—but the distinction is that those clubs might have changed their manager without altering their core identity.

Whether it is Sunderland, Brighton, Brentford, or Bournemouth, they all possess a defined identity. Consequently, when searching for a player to fill a specific position, that player must possess particular attributes.

Without that solid foundation and a clear understanding of what is required in each position, bringing in ten new signings all within a single window—much like Spurs have just done—will inevitably create significant difficulties for the manager.

Each player possesses a unique personality and requires a different duration to settle in, not only adapting to a new environment but also acclimating to the demands of a single-minded and demanding coach like De Zerbi.

This necessary settling-in period would have been accounted for had the players undergone a pre-season together, allowing them to synchronize with their teammates and understand De Zerbi’s expectations regarding his high-tempo, front-foot style of play.

That did not occur, and even after the season commenced, Spurs continued to augment their squad.

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