Former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega believes Spurs could have benefited from relegation last season after years of neglect.
Tottenham Hotspur stared relegation in the face last season but were able to claw their way back from the brink.
It took two managerial changes, with Igor Tudor replacing Thomas Frank but failing to improve results, before Roberto De Zerbi arrived and steadied the sinking ship.
Despite having limited time after taking charge in April, De Zerbi managed to transform Tottenham’s fortunes, recording three wins from his eight matches in charge.
Spurs eventually secured their Premier League status with a final-day victory over Everton and will be competing in the English top flight for at least one more season.
Former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega says Spurs needed a fresh start
Work is already being done to avoid a repeat of last season’s disaster, with Spurs spending heavily on several new additions.
So far, six players have arrived, with Tottenham investing £237 million on Sandro Tonali, Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dubravka.
| Player | Transfer type | Fee (£) | Fee (€) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Vuskovic | Sale | 50m | €58.5m |
| Radu Dragusin | Loan (future fee) | 21.4m | €25m |
| Alejo Veliz | Sale | 7.7m | €9m |
| Alfie Devine | Sale | 6m | €7m |
| Sandro Tonali | Purchase | 100m | €117m |
| Mateus Fernandes | Purchase | 85m | €99.5m |
| Jan Paul van Hecke | Purchase | 52m | €61m |
| Andy Robertson | Free transfer | 0 | 0 |
| Marcos Senesi | Free transfer | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Dubravka | Free transfer | 0 | 0 |
| Total sales | 85.1m | €99.5m | |
| Total purchases | 237m | €277.5m | |
| Net spend | 151.9m | €178m |
However, former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega believes the club’s problems run far deeper than a poor season, arguing that years of neglecting the football side of the business have ultimately caught up with Spurs.
Speaking to Flashscore, Vega explained why he believes Tottenham’s struggles were years in the making, why relegation may actually have forced the club into making the sweeping changes it desperately needed and why he now believes there are signs the club has finally recognised their mistakes.
He said: “The management of that club for years didn’t prioritise the football side. Even with great managers like Mourinho or Conte, the problem was the same: to succeed, you need to invest in quality players, and for five to eight years, they didn’t do that.
“They are paying for that lack of investment now. They almost went down last year; maybe it would have been better if they had, so they could truly start over. Now, with a coach like De Zerbi who talks more about football and a new management structure, they seem to have understood their mistakes.
“In January, they didn’t sign enough attackers, which was a huge risk. I hope they’ve analysed their errors because fixing a club doesn’t happen overnight.”
Ramon Vega gives verdict on Roberto De Zerbi
Vega also shared his thoughts on De Zerbi and whether the Italian is the right man to lead Tottenham forward.
While the former Spurs defender appreciates De Zerbi’s attacking philosophy, he believes implementing that style ultimately depends on having the right players at his disposal.
When asked whether he likes De Zerbi’s style of football, Vega told Flashscore:
“Yes and no. He wants to play attractive football, but it depends on whether he has the players to do it. If you don’t have the right players, his philosophy becomes very difficult to implement. We have to see what he does in the next six months with his own players.”