New reports have revealed how Tottenham Hotspur players felt following Roberto De Zerbi’s first training session in north London.
A new era under Roberto De Zerbi has now kicked off at Tottenham Hotspur, with the Italian taking his first training session with his Spurs squad.
However, while many Tottenham players were present in training, others missed out, with Mohammed Kudus, Cristian Romero, Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma among those not spotted.
But that did not prevent the new Spurs boss from getting his principles across to several players on the training pitches at Hotspur Way.
Tottenham training: Roberto De Zerbi leaves Spurs players excited
From the clips provided by the official Tottenham channels, a couple of things stood out from De Zerbi’s work with his group of players.
He looks to have started instilling some of his principles at Tottenham, with an emphasis on quick passes as well as beating the press.
Football.London has now revealed that the Spurs players appear to have bought into their new manager’s training methods.
It is explained that the players went home with rave reviews of De Zerbi’s first day of training. In fact, one player is said to have told close friends that it was “outstanding”, while numerous others brought glowing reports about the level of the work.
It is hardly surprising to hear such reports, from the players as fans were also given a glimpse of the first training session.
We could hear snippets of what De Zerbi was telling his players, and it all pointed towards what his version of Tottenham will eventually be.
During one rondo, he stressed the importance of quick passing and movement. He said: “One or two touch. With two touch it is impossible to lose the ball because we are five to pass against two. Enjoy, enjoy but you have to move. Enjoy with the ball.
“A lot of teams now they come man to man. Man to man you need to pass the ball. It is important, one touch, two touch.”
He later addressed how he wants his side to deal with pressure, a message that underlines his philosophy of building from the back. He added: “Keep the ball, keep the ball. Attract the pressure. Attract the pressure. The speed of the ball possession, the opponent decides our speed. When they are coming in front, we need to be faster in moving the ball, giving angles, giving solutions.”
Spurs youngsters catch De Zerbi’s eye in training session
Not only was De Zerbi looking to improve the build-up and play-out aspects of Spurs’ game, but the manager also appeared to show interest in a few of his new players.
The Italian made a point of seeking out Lucas Bergvall, placing an arm around the youngster and engaging him in detailed conversations across different areas of the pitch.
De Zerbi was also seen speaking with Mathys Tel during a rondo, seemingly offering guidance on awareness – where to look and how to position his head before passing or turning.
Meanwhile, completing the trio of 20-year-olds, Archie Gray was a constant reference point, with the new Spurs boss frequently calling his name while instructing on the pitch.