Coach Thomas Frank once compared the task at Tottenham to turning a super tanker. But instead of changing direction, Spurs almost sank.
Roberto De Zerbi finally helped the team stay in the Premier League, but that was not enough to soothe the anger from the upper echelons. Executive Chairman Peter Charrington even had to send an open letter to fans, admitting that two consecutive seasons in the bottom group were "unacceptable".
If last season, Tottenham's 17th position could still be considered an accident in the context of 3 teams being relegated too weakly, this time everything is a more serious warning. After a prosperous early season under Frank, Spurs suddenly plunged down again.
De Zerbi takes over a team that is declining both physically and mentally. In the last two seasons, Tottenham lost 47 matches, including 39 defeats in the Premier League. Ange Postecoglou clearly has a big responsibility when defeats gradually become a habit.
Spurs now not only need to improve their expertise but also have to eliminate the culture of failure that has deeply ingrained in the team. In particular, just three victories in the last 22 home matches in the league show that they have completely lost their terrifying image at Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
Another problem lies in the chronic injury situation. Tottenham leads the Premier League in the number of days players have to be out of action due to injury, which cannot be explained solely by the element of bad luck. Despite possessing a large squad, Spurs often fall into a shortage of personnel in important positions.
In that context, Tottenham also faces a leadership crisis in the dressing room. Cristian Romero is considered an inappropriate choice for the captain's armband when he continuously receives cards, injuries and creates a feeling of lack of concentration with the team. Despite being a world-class center-back and having played prominently in the Europa League, Spurs are said to be ready to sell Romero to start a stronger rebuilding.
Marcos Senesi emerged as a potential replacement after an impressive season with Bournemouth. In addition, De Zerbi is also said to want to reunite with many old students at Brighton such as Bart Verbruggen, Carlos Baleba or Jan Paul van Hecke. John Stones is also on the target list thanks to his ability to deploy the ball from the lower line.
Tottenham must also solve the financial problem. In a letter to fans, Charrington pledged to continue investing to bring the club back to the top competing group in England and Europe. However, reality shows that Spurs are under great budget pressure. Two consecutive seasons ranked near the bottom of the table have caused Premier League revenue to drop sharply, while the absence from European cups next season makes the situation even more difficult.
Despite being criticized for lack of investment, the "Roosters" have actually spent about 700 million pounds in the past 4 years and recorded a pre-tax loss of up to 121 million pounds last season. They currently still bear a transfer debt that is said to exceed 250 million pounds. Therefore, a force purge is almost mandatory.
