In a now-infamous letter delivered to the Tottenham Hotspur supporters following the sacking of Jose Mourinho in 2021, chairman Daniel Levy admitted that the club had lost sight of that ‘DNA’.
But what exactly is Spurs’ DNA? Well, according to Levy, it is best epitomised by a coach ‘whose values reflect those of our great club. Playing football with the style for which we are known – free-flowing, attacking and entertaining – whilst continuing to embrace our desire to see young players flourish from our Academy’ (Sky Sports).
The subsequent appointment of Antonio Conte, then, almost felt like drawing up a diet plan on your way to the McDonald’s Drive Thru. Even at Inter Milan, when Conte won the 2021 Serie A title, the former Chelsea boss was facing criticism for a style of play less ‘free-flowing’ and more functional.
Conte, in that regard, has a lot more in common with Mourinho than Mauricio Pochettino; win at all costs, regardless of the optics. And, as for the ‘desire to see young players flourish’? Well, Tottenham only gave three minutes of Premier League football to teenagers in 2022/23 (Planet Football). According to the Daily Mail, there is concern amongst the academy coaches that, as long as Conte remains at the helm, the club’s most exciting youngsters will find their path to the first-team blocked.
Conte, in hindsight, was about as far from Tottenham’s DNA is it was possible to get. The same cannot be said of a man who, according to Sky Sports, is among the early candidates to replace the Italian when his contract expires this summer.
Could Roberto de Zerbi be Tottenham Hotspur’s new Pochettino?
“It’s good for me,” Brighton and Hove Albion’s 18-year-old frontman Evan Ferguson told Sussex Live when asked about life under Roberto de Zerbi at the Amex.
“He’s the first manager that’s given me the opportunity to play. I need to thank him for that. The way we play suits me so it’s good.”
Ferguson has started seven games since De Zerbi took over from Graham Potter; blossoming in double-quick time into one of the most exciting young strikers the Premier League has seen in recent years. Julian Enciso, Facundo Buonanotte, Jeremy Sarmiento and Levi Colwill have also had a part to play under De Zerbi.
“I always I encourage the young player,” De Zerbi tells Vavel. “I want the younger players to not think (about) making a mistake. They don’t have to be afraid. They have to enjoy, to think, and to play.”
These words would be music to the ears of the Tottenham starlets who have spent the last three years fretting about their future under Conte and Mourinho. So that’s a big red tick in the ‘youth development’ box for De Zerbi.
But what about that ‘free-flowing, attacking and entertaining’ football the Tottenham fans so crave? Well, the fact that Pep Guardiola rates the former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk boss so very highly tells it’s own story.
“His impact in England will be massive,” Guardiola, the ultimate purist, said back in October.
“He was counter-cultural the way he played in Italy. He is playing football in a different way.A team like Sassuolo is an incredible example.
“No matter the quality or players you have, if you believe 100 per cent in the way your team wants to play, you can do it.”
The anti-Antonio
Ask Brighton fans and many will tell you that, since De Zerbi’s appointment, an already overachieving side have gone to another level entirely. The difference between De Zerbi and Conte is perhaps best emphasised by a Serie A clash between his Sassuolo and Conte’s Inter Milan in April 2021. Yes, the Nerazzuri won 2-1 on their way to the title. But Sassuolo dominated 71 per cent of the ball that day and mustered 15 shots to Inter’s seven.
“Antonio Conte plays with everyone behind the ball, everyone lined up in front of their own goal,” former Italy international Antonio Cassano said at the time.
“He parks the bus. If I had a manager like this, I would go to the president and say: ‘Get rid of him’.”
Cassano then turned the spotlight on De Zerbi; his tone changing immediately.
“We have yet another scandal in Italian football. One of the best coaches in Italy is leaving for Shakhtar. In Italy, there would be at least four or five important teams that could bet on De Zerbi. If it had been Real Madrid or Barcelona, I would have brought him there directly.”
If Conte was the antithesis of ‘Tottenham’s DNA’, then De Zerbi may be the man to restore the principles of the Pochettino era.
