Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi is under immediate pressure after going winless and goalless through four Premier League games. Despite a massive summer squad overhaul, the Spurs hierarchy retains patience for now while demanding rapid performance improvements.
Four games into the season, Tottenham are stuck near the relegation zone with just two points and zero goals scored. Alarm bells are ringing across North London after a £300m transfer spending spree failed to produce early spark. Journalist David Ornstein assessed the fallout following the departure of Daniel Levy a year ago.
Speaking on the ownership shift, Ornstein said: “You could ask what they were doing as ultimate owners in that period – but it set off the most remarkable overhaul we’ve seen in probably modern Premier League history. Where they came along with big promises for more wins, more regularly, huge spending.”
The Italian manager received full financial backing and a lucrative five-year deal. High-profile additions like Sandro Tonali and Omar Marmoush arrived alongside ten new faces, yet the performance on the pitch remains anemic.
Detailing De Zerbi’s unprecedented mandate, Ornstein explained: “He’s paid among the very biggest managers in the Premier League and European football. They got going in the market in remarkable fashion, in terms of numbers, in terms of transfer fees, in terms of salaries, which Tottenham had been so spendthrift on in the past.”
Spurs lack firepower. Fans are losing patience rapidly. But the board isn’t reaching for the ax just yet.
“Now it’s going to be a really interesting period ahead based on what they are going to do in the next windows because Peter Charrington, the non-executive chairman, has said it will take multiple transfer windows to get to where they want to be.”
Sacking De Zerbi right now carries a massive financial burden. Ultimately, the Italian must turn this identity collapse around himself.
Ornstein concluded: “It would be very expensive if they were to part with him, but I don’t think that’s on the agenda for now. I think it’s all about him getting results on the pitch and extracting maximum performances after the best part of £400m was spent. Now it’s time to deliver.”
