Tottenham’s difficult start to the season has increased the pressure on Roberto De Zerbi, with Spurs managing just two points from their opening five matches despite the club heavily backing him in the summer transfer window.
Following Tottenham’s defeat to Aston Villa, De Zerbi admitted that his current squad may be the most mentally fragile team he has worked with during his managerial career.
The Italian said the issue was partly psychological but insisted his players have the right attitude and work hard. However, he admitted he had never experienced a team as fragile and inconsistent as Tottenham during his 14 years as a coach.
Former England striker Alan Shearer strongly disagreed with De Zerbi’s comments, arguing that the manager cannot simply blame mentality after being given the opportunity to bring in a large number of new players during the summer.
Shearer pointed out that six of the players who started against Villa were signed by De Zerbi himself, insisting that it is now the manager’s responsibility to address the weaknesses within the team.
Tottenham linked with Eddie Howe as possible De Zerbi replacement
There is currently no indication that Tottenham are preparing to sack De Zerbi so early in the campaign. However, former Spurs senior scout Bryan King believes the club should consider Eddie Howe if they eventually decide to make a managerial change.
Howe, who left Newcastle during the summer, is currently available and would not require Tottenham to pay compensation for his services.
King highlighted Howe’s experience at both Bournemouth and Newcastle, where he guided the Magpies to a League Cup triumph. He also suggested that Howe’s relationship with Newcastle’s board deteriorated after Amanda Staveley’s departure from the club’s football operations.
King believes Howe would be a realistic option for Tottenham if De Zerbi’s position eventually becomes untenable, while also noting that it has been some time since Spurs appointed an English manager.
De Zerbi told he may benefit from Daniel Levy’s departure
Former Tottenham striker Bobby Zamora recently suggested that De Zerbi is likely to be given until at least January to improve the team’s fortunes.
Zamora believes the Italian will have enough time to implement his style of football and allow the summer signings to properly adapt to his methods.
He also claimed that De Zerbi may be fortunate that Daniel Levy is no longer running the club, arguing that the former chairman could have made the manager’s situation even more difficult because of their strong personalities.
Despite Tottenham’s poor opening results, Zamora does not believe De Zerbi should be under immediate threat. He expects the team to improve once the players become more familiar with the manager’s system and believes the current struggles could ultimately prove to be nothing more than a poor start to the season.
