‘De Zerbi alla Ferguson’ – Tottenham give full rein to ‘manager’ as extraordinary sense prevails
The Tottenham hierarchy have made some laughable decisions this season but in giving Roberto De Zerbi the power of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United they’ve displayed rare sense and clarity.
On Wednesday – alongside a first picture of the Italian in Tottenham colours – De Zerbi spoke as the new boss for the first time.
“Hello to all the Tottenham fans. I’m very happy to stay here with you,” he said.
“For me, it’s an honour and [I’m] very proud to be your coach. I want to give my best. I want to stay for a long time in this big club. See you soon.”
The Tottenham players on international duty will return to training on Friday and De Zerbi will have just over a week to prepare them for Sunderland in the first of seven ‘cup finals’ as they look to stave off relegation from the Premier League.
He’s signed a very lucrative five-year deal to make him the third-highest paid manager in the top flight, which includes a signing-on fee and relegation bonus, and Gazzetta dello Sport have revealed that De Zerbi will also be given autonomy at his new club to match his position among the Premier League’s most well remunerated bosses.
‘De Zerbi alla Ferguson’ reads the Italian outlet’s headline, which roughly translates as ‘De Zerbi in the style of Ferguson’, as the report details how the former Brighton and Marseille boss will be given the now rarely seen authority of an old school manager rather than that of a mere coach focused specifically on on-field matters, like Liam Rosenior and most others on Premier League touchlines in the modern era.
The Gazzetta report, as per Sport Witness, claims De Zerbi will have ‘influence beyond the pitch’ and will be a ‘central figure in football decisions – shaping squad building, direction and long-term planning’.
The implication of the headline is that he will be handed the same sovereignty having just walked through the door at Tottenham as Sir Alex Ferguson built through years of success and titles at Manchester United.
Amid a veritable cavalcade of terrible decisions from Arsenal double-agent Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange, including but not limited to hiring Igor Tudor before sending him packing for a Mason Greenwood apologist, while giving De Zerbi the freedoms of the greatest Premier League manager of all time sounds like a further madness, it’s the only hope of the Italian getting anywhere close to seeing out his five years at the club. Sense has miraculously prevailed.
De Zerbi is renowned as a very particular coach, requiring full buy-in from the players first and foremost but also from those in charge of the cash as several new signings will be needed to fit his style and system.
READ MORE: Top 10 issues De Zerbi and Tottenham must instantly address to try and avoid calamity
As Chelsea and plenty of other Premier League clubs have found out to their cost, it’s hard to find a coach to fit a philosophy, particularly when that philosophy is largely undefined. By De Zerbi being on the ground floor of all footballing decisions, Tottenham stand a far better chance of a smooth transition into becoming a club built in his image of the game.
It might all end in disaster – De Zerbi has lasted fewer than 30 games at half the clubs he’s managed and failed to get through two seasons at either Brighton or Marseille – but at least Tottenham are daring to do.
