The Croatian took charge purely on a temporary basis following the sacking of manager Tomas Frank in February, but managed just seven games in north London before leaving the club by mutual consent. Currently sitting 17th in the Premier League table and just one point above the relegation zone with seven games remaining in the 2025-26 season, De Zerbi face a huge challenge to turn their fortunes around at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And former Spurs goalkeeper Friedel says the 46-year-old must put tactical sophistication aside and focus instead on regaining the trust of the squad as a whole if the club is to maintain their place in the top flight next season.
Speaking to football.london via Gambling.com, which reviews all UK slot sites, Friedel said: “We don’t need a big tactical committee at the moment. We need someone who can give the best players confidence and perform and get some points on the committee.”
“And I think whatever direction they go in, they need to get at least two players back from injury soon who are impact players. And those players haven’t been involved in a lot of downfalls, so that’s going to help a lot.”
“So they will hopefully go on the pitch, although they may not be fit to play, at least with the confidence of winning football games, getting into Champions League games and getting closer to the top half of the Premier League table and the upper echelons. So that’s how I look at it.”
He added: “When you’re fighting for relegation, it’s a much harder mental battle than when you’re fighting for the top spot. So as a former Tottenham player, I’m worried. There’s a chance we could get relegated, so I’m worried.”
“So the new manager is working on character development and confidence building. And one of the words you haven’t heard at Tottenham for a long time is fun. He has to make the players enjoy football. It’s a game. Let’s never forget that.”
“Even your worst day in football is the best day of your life when you’re a player. When you get to my age, you realize that. And you remember how much fun you had while you were playing. So somebody’s got to go in there and put a smile back on the players’ faces.”
De Zerbi’s first stint as Spurs manager will be an arduous journey to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland AFC on Sunday 12th April. De Zerbi will face his former club Brighton at the Amex Stadium just six days later, before a match against Wolves on April 25 concludes his run for the month.
