Ben Davies has revealed what has impressed him the most about Roberto De Zerbi’s coaching ahead of Tottenham’s first full season under the Italian.
Spurs have had several false dawns over the last seven years since Mauricio Pochettino left, with many of their managers starting well before falling out with the squad.
Tottenham fans will hope that the club have stumbled onto the right man on this occasion, and the early signs are positive.
De Zerbi saved the club from relegation disaster last season and has managed to bring everyone at the club together with his passion and determination, and one senior Spurs star has been very impressed with the Italian.
Ben Davies reveals why Tottenham players ‘feel lucky’ to have Roberto De Zerbi in charge
Micky van de Ven has already taken a veiled dig at Thomas Frank while praising De Zerbi, admitting that the players are enjoying the Italian’s attacking approach a lot more than the Dane’s pragmatic one.
Davies, who has seen many coaches come and go during his time at Hotspur Way, has admitted that the 46-year-old has won over the squad with his passion.
When asked about his experience working with De Zerbi, the left-back told Football.London: “Yeah, he’s great. He’s really, really impressive. I think even towards the end of last season to come in in the situation that he did and the job that he did and what he was able to do, not just on the pitch but off it for a group that was lacking a lot of confidence. It was really impressive and we feel lucky to have him.
When asked what makes the Italian special, Davies responded: “Firstly, he speaks incredibly well and very passionately. He’s able to really implement his style on the team pretty quickly. He’s just a man who’s obsessed with football.
“The details that he brings to you are incredible. It’s really just a pleasure to work with him. Even at my age, as someone who has been around football a long time, you feel like you’re learning new things pretty much every day. I can’t speak highly enough of him.”
Davies admits De Zerbi’s attention to detail sets him apart from previous Spurs managers
The 33-year-old arrived at Tottenham from Swansea the same summer as Mauricio Pochettino did, and is thus best placed to compare and contrast De Zerbi with his predecessors.
Davies revealed that the uniqueness of De Zerbi’s coaching is his attention to detail in possession and his determination to help each player improve.
When asked what De Zerbi does differently to his previous Spurs managers, the Wales international responded: “All the coaches I’ve worked with all have different skill sets. Like I said, very detail-oriented, very demanding of what he expects when he’s on the ball. But I think as a player, if you feel like a coach is helping you every day to improve, that’s all you can ask for.”
When asked if there is excitement ahead of the new season, the defender said: “Yeah, of course. To be honest, the guys that are here are turning up the games now. It’s important that everybody learns and gets an opportunity to play in this kind of style of football. When we get some boys back, and the guys are up to speed, then it’s exciting times.”