MusaTottenham Hotspur are facing growing calls to part ways with Roberto De Zerbi, with some pundits urging the club to act immediately and take advantage of the opportunity to bring in a potential dream successor.
However, despite the increasing pressure surrounding the Italian, TEAMtalk understands that Tottenham’s hierarchy currently has no intention of making a managerial change and remains committed to De Zerbi.
De Zerbi guided Spurs away from relegation danger last season after a difficult and disappointing campaign. In response, the club’s hierarchy backed him heavily in the transfer market, investing significant funds in an attempt to overhaul the squad and ensure Tottenham would not find themselves battling around 17th place again.
Spurs were among the most active clubs during the summer transfer window, bringing in several major additions as they attempted to begin a new era under De Zerbi.
Sandro Tonali arrived from Newcastle for £100m, while Mateus Fernandes joined from West Ham in an £85m deal. Savinho also moved from Manchester City for £75m, with Jan Paul Van Hecke arriving from Brighton for £52m.
The club also strengthened further with the addition of Omar Marmoush, leaving supporters hopeful that the huge investment would finally translate into better performances on the pitch.
Instead, Tottenham’s start to the new Premier League campaign has been extremely difficult.
After five matches, Spurs remain without a victory, have collected only two points and have scored just two league goals. They currently sit at the bottom of the Premier League table, with supporters already growing increasingly concerned about the direction of the season.
The poor run has inevitably intensified scrutiny on De Zerbi, with speculation beginning to emerge that Tottenham could eventually consider alternative options.
Names such as Fabian Hurzeler and Kieran McKenna have been mentioned as potential candidates, while former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy and Mirror journalist Darren Lewis have both raised the possibility of Mauricio Pochettino returning to North London.
Calls for Tottenham to bring Pochettino back
Speaking about the possibility of De Zerbi being dismissed, Murphy told talkSPORT that he expects Pochettino to return to the Premier League before the end of the season.
“My bold prediction. It’s not that bold actually. I think we’ll see Poch back in the Premier League before the end of it.”
Pochettino has also been linked with Manchester United, where Michael Carrick has faced early scrutiny during his time in charge.
Lewis, meanwhile, believes Tottenham should move quickly if they decide that a change is necessary.
“If Spurs are smart, they’ll get him,” the Mirror journalist said.
Lewis also questioned how long De Zerbi can realistically remain in charge if Tottenham’s results fail to improve, arguing that the manager must accept responsibility for several of the team’s current problems.
He pointed to Tottenham’s defensive struggles, their lack of goals and their inability to recover after falling behind as areas that ultimately fall under the manager’s responsibility.
Lewis added that, based on Tottenham’s current situation, he does not expect De Zerbi to remain in the dugout for the entire campaign.
De Zerbi remains safe for now
Despite the mounting criticism and growing speculation, TEAMtalk sources have indicated that Tottenham currently have no plans to sack De Zerbi.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the club’s hierarchy remains convinced that the Italian is the right manager to turn the team’s fortunes around and has no immediate intention of replacing him.
The latest defeat against Aston Villa increased the pressure, particularly after other Premier League results left Tottenham bottom of the table.
It is the first time in 18 years, since the 2008/09 campaign, that Spurs have found themselves at the bottom of the Premier League after five matches.
That statistic has inevitably added to the debate over whether Tottenham need another change in the dugout.
Meanwhile, one of the Premier League’s highly regarded young managers has reportedly made a decision regarding the possibility of replacing De Zerbi at Tottenham.
A former Spurs player has also spoken exclusively to TEAMtalk about the situation, explaining why he believes De Zerbi may have benefited from Daniel Levy no longer being in charge of the club after the manager publicly criticised some of his players.
The situation has become increasingly uncomfortable, with De Zerbi even being labelled a “bully” amid criticism of his management style.
Some Tottenham supporters have also begun to lose patience with the Italian, with questions now being raised about his managerial record as the club’s difficult start to the season continues.
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