Taking the Tottenham Hotspur job was a gamble for Roberto De Zerbi. He is a highly rated coach who would no doubt have had other top job offers in the future. Of course, he has been well compensated financially by Spurs, but he could have been the manager who took them down to the Championship.
Spurs started the season with Thomas Frank in charge, but things went from bad to worse when Igor Tudor was appointed. De Zerbi came in and kept Spurs in the Premier League. He has the commitment to ensure that Tottenham does not find itself in a similar situation again. The Italian made many changes on Tudor's side; here are three key areas.
3 Igor Tudor wrongs that Roberto De Zerbi immediately put right
Rebuilding Antonin Kinsky's confidence
Antonin Kinsky's confidence was dashed when Tudor subbed him off after just 17 minutes against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. The goalkeeper did make mistakes that led to Spurs conceding three goals before Kinsky was taken off. However, the cold shoulder approach from Tudor was heavily criticized.
That was Kinsky's only appearance under Tudor. De Zerbi reintroduced Kinsky into his lineup, and he played in Spurs' final seven Premier League games of the season. He made notable saves as Tottenham got results against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds United, and Everton on the final day to keep the club in the division.
Credit must go to De Zerbi for giving him a chance, and the player for showing resilience. Kinsky is only 23 and no doubt has a bright future in the game. He is yet to play for the Czech Republic but has been on the bench for them four times. He is contracted to Tottenham until 2029 and could be their number one for many years to come.
Solidifying the midfield
Tottenham's midfield was completely overrun during Tudor's seven games in charge. This is why they suffered heavy defeats at the hands of Atletico, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, and Arsenal. Conor Gallagher looked like a very poor signing for Spurs.
Tudor did not know how to shape up the team and used an array of formations during his time at Spurs. The Croat had no experience of English soccer and looked like a fish out of water. De Zerbi knows the Premier League from his time at Brighton & Hove Albion, and introduced a 4-2-3-1, which his side stuck with.
De Zerbi got the best out of Conor Gallagher and Joao Palhinha, who both scored crucial goals to ensure Spurs maintained their top-flight status. Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur were also effective under De Zerbi. Having Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison back from injury gave the Italian more options in the middle of the park.
Getting the best out of Conor Gallagher
Gallagher looked to be a very poor signing for Spurs from the moment he arrived at the club in January. He looked devoid of confidence, and he would rather be back at Chelsea than at Tottenham.
De Zerbi initially played Gallagher in more central and defensive midfield roles. However, he then moved him into the attacking midfield role. With Gallagher in this position, they beat Wolves 1-0 away from home. They then defeated Aston Villa with Gallagher scoring the opening goal.
The only match Spurs lost since Gallagher switched positions was the defeat to his former club, Chelsea. The draw with Leeds United and the win over Everton were enough to see Tottenham maintain their top-flight status. Gallagher is synonymous with Chelsea, as he grew up supporting them and went on to captain the west London club. However, he is starting to become a hero for Tottenham.
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