In two seasons leading Brighton from 2022 to 2024, Roberto De Zerbi has created a profound tactical mark in the Premier League. The Italian coach asked his players to implement a rather unique approach, helping them become different from the rest of the league.
Just watching any Brighton match from 2023 onwards, it is easy to recognize a rare detail. When controlling the ball in the midfield area, Brighton's central defenders are not in a hurry to deploy but even stand still, putting their feet on the ball. This is not slowness, but a clear tactical intention.
De Zerbi wanted to "lure pressing" from the opponent - forcing them to push high to put pressure to win the ball. When that happened, Brighton quickly deployed neat combination triangles, escaped pressing and exploited the space just revealed behind the opponent's defense.
With a coach who values ball control like De Zerbi, this is an extremely effective tool to break down deep defensive systems. And reality has proven that.
Brighton finished the 2022-2023 season in sixth place - the best record in club history - and won a ticket to European cups for the first time. Only Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City scored more goals than the "Turtle"'s 72. Names like Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo, Leandro Trossard or Kaoru Mitoma all shone brightly under his reign.
De Zerbi prioritizes technical players in all positions, including goalkeepers, when requiring the team to persistently deploy short passes from the lower lines. When operating smoothly, this system creates smooth coordination, penetrates the opponent's defense and opens up a large space for attacking situations.
In the opposite direction, De Zerbi's teams press very fiercely right from the opponent's half. The striker is the one who initiates pressure, leading to a synchronous upward system. Superior ball control - often over 55%, even 60-70% in many matches - helps the team save energy when having the ball, thereby focusing on the pressing phase when losing the ball.
In theory, this is an ideal system. And in fact, it has brought success to De Zerbi at Sassuolo, Brighton and Marseille for many years.
However, the biggest problem lies in whether this philosophy can be applied immediately at Tottenham Hotspur in the current situation?
In front of Spurs is great relegation pressure. If unfavorable results occur, they can completely fall into the relegation group. In that context, a series of questions will be raised.
Is Tottenham's defense confident enough to play football under high pressure? Can they build an effective pressing system in a short time? And most importantly, is Spurs' midfield quality enough to operate a complex ball control style?
The reality in the current Premier League shows that, where teams are increasingly strong and physically fit, inaccurate ball control can become a "double-edged sword". Small mistakes in deployment will be immediately punished.
Many teams have given up the idea of playing comprehensively controlled football because the risks are too high. And that is the problem for De Zerbi.
Will he be steadfast in his philosophy in difficult circumstances, or will he accept adjustments to suit the immediate reality? And if he chooses to compromise, will it be effective?
