Why this break has come at the worst time for De Zerbi & Spurs
BBC Sport columnist Tony Pulis explains the different factors that mean Tottenham boss Roberto de Zerbi needs time with his players to build a proper team.
Tottenham's big spending this summer has led to problems for manager Roberto de Zerbi, who has been given a large amount of money to buy new players. The club's board backed him with an outlay of around £400m, sending expectations from fans through the roof. However, their early results and performances have been disappointing, and fans are now questioning De Zerbi's ability as manager.
Despite keeping them up last season, De Zerbi has not been given the time and opportunity to build a successful team, and the majority of his players have been taken away for international duty. De Zerbi faces many challenges, from poor home form to issues in recovering from conceding the first goal. The biggest challenge is integrating the new signings into the existing squad, a process that takes time and patience.
De Zerbi has faced this issue before, when he had to convince two completely different centre-halves to work together as a team. He is passionate, straight-talking and ambitious, but the international break means he cannot coach all his players during the first few games. Fans should give him a proper chance, but it is unrealistic to expect immediate success after such a significant change in the squad.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Sport's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
