What De Zerbi needs to do to turn Tottenham around

De Zerbi

With the appointment of Roberto de Zerbi, Tottenham are on to their third manager this season and they are in serious relegation trouble. How, I ask, can a club with so much going for it end up in such a mess?

In the past few years, Spurs have developed a state-of-the art stadium and training facilities which are the match of anything across the globe.

Both are something I'm sure the club's hierarchy are extremely proud of but, with that in mind, I'd like to recall a quote from one of these islands' greatest football legends, Bill Shankly, who once asked if you had a choice of a great stadium and no team, or a poor stadium and a great team, which would you choose?

Bill followed it up by saying he'd have a poor stadium and a great team because the people come to see the team.

He's right, of course. Football is about the players and the game, not the surrounds.

From my perspective as a former manager, I know supporters just want to see their teams win, and they will prioritise performances over infrastructure all day long.

So, are Spurs' current problems simply down to them taking their eye off the ball in terms of what is happening on the pitch, and being too focused on what is happening off it?

While the club has invested heavily in the transfer market, it seems many of their supporters believe that they have always maintained a tight restraint on player wages - which I am sure has cost them when competing for signings with other top Premier League teams.

On top of that, behind the scenes they have not only moved on from long-serving executive Daniel Levy, who left in September after almost 25 years in the role, they have also consistently changed important roles in their management structure.

By doing that, I've got no doubt that the club has impinged on their coach's ability to construct and sustain a stable players' identity model, which could and would instil a much more aligned system on the pitch.

As I've mentioned in previous columns, today's managers and coaches are more or less given players to coach rather than choosing signings themselves.

If you are the manager and you have real differences of opinion with the people making those decisions, or there are constant changes above you, then goodness knows how you can be successful, whoever you are.

With that in mind, and also looking at where Spurs have gone wrong with some of their player recruitment in recent years, I cannot believe that a manager of Roberto de Zerbi's standing would sign a five-year contract without him having some say on signings and the new players who will be coming into the club.

With Spurs maintaining a strict wage budget, their recruitment must be smart and resourceful whatever division they are in, but it is also important it is in line with the coach's needs and wishes.

First things first, though. How does De Zerbi try to keep them up?

Spurs' players and coaches have come in for major criticism this season. De Zerbi has seven games left to turn things around and stave off relegation.

Earlier this week I spoke to Adam Lallana, who worked with De Zerbi when he was at Brighton, about his methods and what he is made of. The picture I was given was of someone who wants do things 100% his way.

He will not tolerate interference and will not stand for players who won't do what he wants them to. If they fall short, they will be out.

De Zerbi's identity as a coach is about free-flowing and forward-passing football, which fits Tottenham too - it is what their fans want - but without having strong characters and a bit of well-directed leadership on the pitch, that will not count when the going gets tough.

Wherever I managed, having that kind of character in my team was always hugely important to me. I felt a sound base like that within the team gave even limited players a chance of being successful by getting results over the course of a long and demanding season.

To find out the character of these players, I would go through numerous routes to make sure the lad I was going to sign indeed had the right credentials.

Watching them in away games was a must, for example. So was speaking to their former coaches or managers - and players who had played with them.