Roberto De Zerbi
In a crucial period for Tottenham Hotspur, head coach Roberto De Zerbi has expressed his reliance on the attacking prowess of Richarlison, Mathys Tel, and Randal Kolo Muani to help the club escape relegation. With only four games left in the season, starting with a challenging away fixture against Aston Villa, De Zerbi is determined to guide his team to safety despite the absence of several key players due to injury.
Roberto De Zerbi said: “Richarlison is a great guy because he is a sensitive guy, I like him as a player and as a man. What he thinks you can understand immediately from his face, or his eyes. It’s pure. We have to put him in the right condition to score. I want to put all the attackers in the right condition to attack the space, to shoot, to go one to one, to play between the lines, to make the assists. In the second half at Wolves, we didn’t.”
Richarlison, who previously played a pivotal role in securing Everton’s Premier League status, is expected to channel his past experiences to aid Tottenham. De Zerbi’s admiration for the Brazilian striker is evident, as he describes Richarlison’s demeanor as “pure” and emphasizes the need to create optimal conditions for his attackers to thrive.
Roberto De Zerbi continued: “This is my problem. I would like to remember every day what they are and what they have done. But not three, four, five years ago, because Tottenham finished the Champions League [league phase] in fourth position this season.”
With Xavi Simons sidelined due to an ACL injury, Mathys Tel is set to seize the opportunity on his preferred left flank. De Zerbi, who previously sought Tel’s services at Marseille, is optimistic about the young Frenchman’s potential impact.
Roberto De Zerbi added: “I’m sorry because I used him in not his favourite position. He played two games as a right winger, against Wolves and Brighton. His favourite position is left winger but at Wolves he was important to win the corner for the goal.”
Randal Kolo Muani, another key figure in De Zerbi’s plans, is urged to showcase the talent that prompted PSG to invest heavily in him. De Zerbi acknowledges the challenges of managing such a talented squad but relishes the opportunity to instill confidence and belief in his players.
Roberto De Zerbi remarked: “Muani? He’s another of my problems. I have too many problems! But it’s not problems, I love working in this part of my job because when I was a player, I wanted to work with the coach to help to transfer more confidence, to believe, to show what his idea was about me.”
As Tottenham prepares for a crucial encounter against Aston Villa, De Zerbi remains unfazed by potential squad rotations from Villa’s coach, Unai Emery. He acknowledges the depth and quality of Villa’s squad, emphasizing that regardless of Emery’s selections, the challenge remains formidable for his team.
Roberto De Zerbi concluded: “Aston Villa have 20-22 players of first level. Douglas Luiz, Bogarde, Bailey, Sancho, Abraham, Mings are not the second level. It will be a tough game with the same players of Thursday or if he goes to change, I don’t know, but nothing changes from the level of the opponent.”
With Tottenham’s Premier League survival hanging in the balance, De Zerbi’s faith in his attacking trio could prove decisive in the club’s quest to remain in the top flight.
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