Tottenham is coming out of another nightmarish season which has profoundly weakened the club’s image in England. Long stuck in the red zone, Spurs only ensured their survival at the end of the last day thanks to a narrow success against Everton. A scenario which confirmed the extent of the crisis experienced by the London club. Arriving after the failed stints of Thomas Frank then Igor Tudor, Roberto De Zerbi quickly demonstrated his desire to launch a massive reconstruction in order to avoid a new fiasco. The Italian coach believes that a significant part of the squad does not have the necessary level to allow Tottenham to regain the top places in the Premier League. Despite the relief linked to the maintenance, the observation remains extremely severe internally since the managers now consider that the club is considerably behind its direct competitors, both on a sporting level and in the overall stability of the project.
The Italian technician now wants to regain control of all of the club’s structuring decisions in order to impose a clearer identity from the summer resumption. Roberto De Zerbi wants to build a more competitive group around several executives considered essential such as João Palhinha, Conor Gallagher, Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel, while carrying out a vast staff review. This desire for a break comes after two extremely disappointing seasons which caused significant weariness among supporters. Even some locker room executives, like Micky van de Ven, publicly acknowledged that Tottenham could no longer accept finishing so low in the standings. Criticism from outside has also increased the pressure around the club, with Gary Neville in particular evoking a level of performance unworthy of Spurs’ historic ambitions. In this tense climate, the London management now wants to avoid any further deviation and intends to support De Zerbi in a reconstruction deemed essential.
A bigger problem than staff?
Alongside the sporting project, Tottenham is also preparing a major reorganization of its medical department after a season marked by a cascade of injuries. According to the Telegraphmanagers believe that a large part of the difficulties encountered this year are a direct result of the repeated physical problems which have affected the workforce. James Maddison himself described the situation as “astronomical» after suffering a cruciate ligament rupture. An injury that kept him away from the field for most of the season. Dejan Kulusevski did not play any minutes of the exercise because of his knee, while Mohammed Kudus, Dominic Solanke, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert also experienced long periods of unavailability. Faced with this worrying accumulation, the new performance director Dan Lewindon, arrived from the City Football Group, launched a complete audit in order to identify the exact causes of this unprecedented physical crisis.
Still according to the Telegraphthis investigation should lead to major changes within the medical staff and more broadly throughout the club’s sporting organization. Tottenham wishes in particular to implement much more individualized monitoring of players with training programs adapted according to the positions occupied and the physical background of each person. Independent analyzes have also been commissioned regarding the pitches at the stadium and training center to assess a possible problem linked to the quality of the surfaces. The club also plans to recruit a senior psychologist to support players and staff with the emotional pressure generated by such a trying season. Internally, some managers also recognize that the numerous changes of coach have greatly disrupted working methods and increased the risk of injury due to permanent changes in physical loads and playing styles. Tottenham now hopes that this vast restructuring will finally provide a more stable environment for Roberto De Zerbi to sustainably relaunch the London club.
