Roberto De Zerbi has revealed his goals for Tottenham ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign, following a busy summer transfer window.
Consecutive 17th‑place finishes in the Premier League in the last two seasons are far from the usual standards of Tottenham Hotspur.
In the last decade, Spurs made it a habit of qualifying for Europe and even featured in the Champions League final in 2019.
However, the club has come a long way from that era, and it is clear that work still needs to be done if Spurs are to compete with the best again.
De Zerbi reveals Tottenham’s goals for the upcoming campaign
That is certainly the job at hand for Roberto De Zerbi, who came into the Tottenham dugout in April this year.
Spurs found themselves in a full‑on relegation scrap when the Italian first arrived, but the former Brighton manager did manage to keep Tottenham in the Premier League, preserving their 100 per cent relegation‑free record in the English top flight.
But with the dust now settled, Spurs’ attention is set to turn to far loftier heights, and De Zerbi has now revealed the ambition for the coming season.
Speaking to football.london about his ambitions and goals for the next campaign, De Zerbi said: “I can answer your question after the transfer market closes. To be honest, I think we already have a very strong team, very good players.
“We are waiting for the players who finished the World Cup in the last period, whether it is Senesi, Bentancur or Pape Matar Sarr. Then we start to work, like I said, on two things, on the soul and the style of play, because this season is different than last season.
“This season we have to play with a clear idea, a clear organisation and then inside of the clear organisation the best players can show their qualities. We have a lot of big, big players and for that we have to improve in the style of play.”
Spurs’ pre‑season work shows signs of progress
A lot of work is being done in pre‑season to get Tottenham playing the brand of football the Italian wants. Spurs’ out‑of‑possession work has looked very solid, especially when the opposition looks to build up from the back.
The centre‑forward as well as the number ten are often aggressive in their closing down. The Lilywhites have also kept the ball well in pre‑season, managing 63 per cent possession against Auckland, 71 per cent against MK Dons and 58 per cent against Sydney.
Spurs will kick off their Premier League campaign against Brentford on Saturday, August 22, and De Zerbi will be hoping his side have grasped some of his concepts by then.