James Maddison has revealed the kind of ideas that Roberto De Zerbi is trying to instil during Tottenham’s pre-season, and what the Italian expects of every player.
De Zerbi has already said we will see a very different style of play from Tottenham during the upcoming season than we saw in the final seven league games of last campaign.
The Italian explained that he had no time to focus on principles of play last season, but he plans to use pre-season to get the squad accustomed to his philosophy.
We have already seen glimpses of that in the club’s pre-season friendlies so far, and a senior Spurs star has now revealed that the 46-year-old’s message to the squad has been very clear.
James Maddison is ‘really excited’ to play for Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham
James Maddison, who is expected to be installed as the next Tottenham captain, has revealed that De Zerbi wants the players to play with passion and become better each day.
The attacking midfielder confessed that he is really excited to be part of the offensive style that the Italian is keen on implementing.
Maddison told The Independent: “The manager is very clear. The goals are to be better, to play better football, to be passionate and to be proud to play for this club.
“If we listen to his style, principles, if we keep the short-term targets of trying to be better and trying to implement the way he’ll play, the long-term targets will be better in the long run.
“We’re still learning the way he plays. As a player, he’s a coach you want to play for because he loves everything with the ball. He’s very attacking, and I’m really excited.”
Maddison admits Spurs players are keen to bounce back after two poor seasons
The Lilywhites are coming off two poor campaigns domestically, and came very close to being relegated for the first time in nearly half a century last term.
Maddison confessed that there is a determination to set things right this season, with the entire squad focused on the season opener at Brentford on August 22.
The England international added: “First game of the season, Brentford — a big season for us under a new manager. We want to have a successful season. We need to be better than the last couple of seasons. So it’s kind of all just preparation leading to that first game.”