James Maddison has admitted that Tottenham Hotspur would probably have suffered the disaster of relegation from the Premier League if it were not for the decision to bring in Roberto De Zerbi for Igor Tudor. Spurs made the managerial change with seven games to go and the team in freefall after a run of one point from six matches under Tudor. De Zerbi rebuilt confidence and guided the club to survival, with a 1-0 home win over Everton on Sunday ensuring they finished above West Ham, who went down. De Zerbi's record shows three wins, two draws and two defeats.
Players Pay Tribute to De Zerbi
James Maddison and Conor Gallagher have paid tribute to the impact of the new coach. Maddison said: "I am really happy for the manager, who has come in and steered the ship clear because without him it could have been doom and gloom. The appointment kind of saved the disaster from happening. Without that appointment, disaster could have maybe struck. But it didn't and he takes a lot of credit for that." Gallagher added: "Like Madders said, thank God the new gaffer came in because he was the reason it turned around for the team and for me. From the first day or two he had everyone under his wing. Everyone trusted him instantly and everything he was doing."
Tactical Changes and Confidence Boost
De Zerbi, who has lived with his backroom staff at the hotel at Spurs' training ground, has made tactical tweaks. Under him, the team have pressed more effectively and forced more turnovers in the final third. He has fixed the midfield, using Gallagher to good effect as a No 10. But his biggest trick has been to restore the players' self-belief. Gallagher, who struggled under previous managers, said: "It was obviously really tough for me and the whole team. I was in and out, no confidence, didn't feel great physically and then he came in and showed belief and gave me my confidence back."
Gallagher's Personal Revival
Gallagher mentioned how De Zerbi had shown him a video on YouTube to boost his morale. "It was titled 'Bossing the midfield, Conor Gallagher' – or something like that," he said. "I've seen it before and he's just there showing me in this meeting room. I found it really funny! He did a similar thing with a few of the other lads. That's been one of his many ways to get players' confidence back."
De Zerbi's Passion and Commitment
Maddison also offered an insight into how De Zerbi has worked. "He's just so passionate. He's been living at the training ground with his team. I go and stay there the night before every home game just to get a good night's sleep. And he's there at 9pm with all his staff. They've got the tactics board out. There's six of them. It's 9pm. We've already had like four or five meetings on each game. He's just obsessed with football."
Future Transfers and Squad Overhaul
Tottenham have a big summer ahead as they look to reboot the squad. They are expected to sign centre-half Marcos Senesi and left-back Andy Robertson on free transfers from Bournemouth and Liverpool respectively. Captain Cristian Romero is poised to leave and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario could also go. The club's non-executive chairman, Peter Charrington, has criticised the previous regime led by Daniel Levy, saying it did not put football success at the heart of everything. Levy was ousted last September as the Lewis Family Trust took control. Charrington wrote in an open letter: "Last September, we recognised that something seismic had to change at Spurs. The Lewis family stepped in and authorised a full reset. That decision was not taken lightly and it came later than it should have. But what has been put in motion is real and it marks a genuine break from what had come before."
Addressing Cultural Issues
Maddison emphasized the need for greater accountability. "We need to be responsible for holding ourselves to higher standards and demanding more from each other individually. It's almost like looking in the mirror. 'Have I been good enough? I should be better.' And most weeks of the season I think that would have been the case. Lads need to kind of look at themselves … instead of blaming and whatnot." Charrington insisted the Lewis family had no plans to sell up and made it clear that investment via the transfer market would be forthcoming. "We will build a squad, led by Roberto, with the right blend of experience, youth and leadership to compete at the highest levels of the Premier League and European football. We will invest across multiple transfer windows."
