Roberto De Zerbi’s latest decision on the Tottenham side risks causing talk. While Spurs are going through a particularly difficult start to the season and the Italian coach has been repeating for several weeks that his team still needs to progress physically, the players who remained in London during the international break will finally benefit from a full week of rest. A decision that comes after the 3-2 defeat against Aston Villa, a result which left the London club deep in the table and still without a Premier League victory.
However, De Zerbi had precisely insisted after this meeting on the need to work more with the players who would not join their selection. The coach notably cited James Maddison, Conor Gallagher, Dominic Solanke, Tosin Adarabioyo and Marcos Senesi, believing that their physical condition still needed to improve. Solanke, in particular, had been held up as an example of a player needing to find more pace and power.
A choice that questions
The explanation, however, is less spectacular than it seems. According to the latest information from The Telegraphthis week of rest had been planned even before the defeat against Aston Villa and corresponds to a practice considered normal by specialists in physical preparation when a long international break of three weeks presents itself. Note that Tottenham has not planned any training abroad or friendly matches behind closed doors. In fact, players not selected will simply return to Hotspur Way the following week to resume training.
The fact remains that the timing makes the decision difficult for supporters to understand. While Roberto De Zerbi claimed to have identified physical condition as one of his team’s problems, the players concerned will ultimately benefit from several additional days of rest during this break. It remains to be seen whether this choice will pay off or not. Response to the recovery with the trip to Manchester United on October 10 as the first test of this strategy.
