The appointment of Roberto De Zerbi to the position of one of the highest-paid coaches in the league, in the context of a season already full of fluctuations, is clearly a big gamble for Tottenham. However, there are also opinions that continuing to put faith in Igor Tudor is even more risky.
No matter who sits on the coaching bench - De Zerbi is already the fourth coach to lead Tottenham in 12 months - the core issues of the team have not been resolved.
Tottenham currently lacks a clear tactical identity. De Zerbi brings his own philosophy, which has been proven during his time leading Brighton, but Spurs' current squad does not seem to be able to meet that requirement.
This is clearly shown in the defeat against Sunderland. The goal conceded from Nordi Mukiele's change of direction shot closed a lackluster performance, and now, the risk of relegation is no longer a distant prospect.
Spurs' record is increasingly alarming as they have only won 1 point in the last 8 matches. The 14-match winless streak in the Premier League is the team's worst record since 1935, making them a candidate for relegation.
De Zerbi admitted that he did not have much time to convey tactical ideas, instead prioritizing the spirit and courage. However, besides the first 10 minutes of the match being somewhat brighter, Spurs could not show these factors.
In midfield, De Zerbi arranged many mobile players to control the ball. However, they were completely disadvantaged against the trio Granit Xhaka, Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra on the opponent's side.
Xhaka is a prominent factor when controlling the pace of the match with 85 touches and 16 passes into the baseline area - the highest in the match. Notably, Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs even made more passes into the dangerous area than all three Tottenham midfielders combined.
Not only inferior when having the ball, Spurs are also inferior in terms of tackles, interception and competition intensity. Despite having 7 shots on target, they only created exactly one clear opportunity and were missed by Dominic Solanke.
Pedro Porro is a rare bright spot with high runs from the wing, but that further shows the ineffectiveness of Tottenham's attack.
Another controversial decision was that Xavi Simons was only brought on in the final minutes. In the context of the home team being led early, the short time was not enough for this player to make a difference.
The remainder of the season will be a huge challenge for Spurs, especially when they are missing captain Cristian Romero due to injury. Tactical decisions at this time need to be highly accurate if they want to save the situation.
Statistics show that Tottenham has not won in their last 32 Premier League matches when they were led, with only 8 draws. Their lead rate for the whole season is only 18.3% - a figure that clearly reflects a weakness in mentality and bravery.
It has been almost 4 months since the last victory in the league, a long enough time for Spurs to lose the feeling of victory. However, in the relegation battle, they have no choice but to find that again as soon as possible.
Tottenham needs to face pressure directly, instead of continuing to collapse when facing difficulties. In theory, they still have a quality squad, but De Zerbi's task at this time is to turn that potential into reality, before everything becomes too late.
