Roberto De Zerbi can bring the rich personality football that Tottenham Hotspur fans desire. The philosophy of "dare to play, dare to do" is a clear mark of the Italian strategist. But at this time, all philosophies will become meaningless if he cannot help Spurs stay in the league.
Tottenham still has 7 matches and is only one point ahead of the relegation group. Igor Tudor was expected to rescue the situation, but reality made the crisis worse. The risk of relegation for the first time since 1977 is more obvious than ever.
In that context, De Zerbi's arrival brings hope, but also comes with a big question. Is he the right choice... at the wrong time?
At least, the former Brighton coach has experience in the Premier League and has created an attractive playing system. If he helps Spurs stay in the league, it could be a turning point. But if they fail, a terrible scenario is something no one dares to think of and it is also difficult to imagine that De Zerbi will stay in the Championship.
Time problem
The biggest problem lies in Spurs not having time.
De Zerbi's playing style - controlling the ball, deploying from the lower line, high-intensity pressing - always needs time to operate smoothly. When he took over Brighton in mid-2022, this team did not win in the first 5 matches.
His other mid-season takeovers were also not very smooth. At Palermo, De Zerbi only won 1/13 matches before being sacked. At Benevento, he did not win a single match in the first 9 rounds and the team then was relegated.
Spurs cannot allow that scenario to repeat itself. According to predictions, they only need about 8 points in the remaining 7 matches to be qualified - a small number, but with their current form, it is a huge challenge.
Potential and risk
It is undeniable that De Zerbi is one of the most tactically advanced coaches in Europe. He once brought Brighton to finish in sixth place - the best achievement in club history - and won a ticket to the European Cup.
Colleagues, including Pep Guardiola, once admitted that De Zerbi was one of the strategists who caused the most difficulties in terms of tactics, thanks to his unique way of organizing space, controlling pace and deploying the ball.
But the problem is not just tactics.
De Zerbi's career shows that he rarely sticks with a team for long. Stable performance is not enough to ensure sustainable success. More importantly, his ability to manage the dressing room is still a question mark.
In Marseille, he was once involved in many internal tensions, even being said to exacerbate the situation instead of controlling it. These signs raise doubts, can he stabilize a declining team like Tottenham?
Last gamble
With Tottenham, everything is no longer a long-term story. They need points immediately.
Fans no longer care much about philosophy or identity. They only need one person to pull the team out of the mud. The problem is that De Zerbi is a type of coach who needs time to build, while Spurs do not have much time.
If successful, he could become the one to lay the foundation for a new era. If failed, it would be one of the most costly wrong decisions in club history.
Tottenham has reached the limit. And this chance test is simply not allowed to be wrong.
