Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi says Spurs must silence negative thoughts and believe in their quality as they head into the final four games of a tense Premier League relegation battle.
Roberto De Zerbi has challenged Tottenham Hotspur to shut out the growing negativity surrounding the club and focus solely on survival as Spurs enter the final four matches of a nerve-shredding Premier League relegation fight.
The North London side remain two points from safety despite finally ending their miserable wait for a league win with a narrow 1-0 victory over Wolves last weekend.
It was Tottenham’s first Premier League success since December, but any momentum gained from that result was quickly tempered by the devastating injury suffered by Xavi Simons, who ruptured his cruciate ligament and will miss the rest of the season.
With a daunting trip to fifth-placed Aston Villa next on the calendar, De Zerbi made it clear that the biggest battle his players now face is psychological as much as tactical. Since arriving a month ago as Tottenham’s third manager of a chaotic campaign, the Italian has been trying to rebuild belief inside a dressing room that has spent months sinking deeper into crisis.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, De Zerbi said the club must stop listening to the internal voice that constantly searches for excuses. He pointed to the endless conversations around injuries, bad luck, medical issues and Tottenham’s inability to put together a winning run as the kind of thinking he wants eradicated immediately, describing it bluntly as rubbish that serves no purpose at this stage of the season.
Instead, the former Brighton boss wants his squad to remember the level of talent still available to him. Spurs have collected four points from their last two games and while Villa Park represents one of their toughest remaining assignments, De Zerbi insisted that winning there should not be viewed as some impossible miracle.
There was also a more encouraging update on James Maddison, who has recently returned to the bench after many months out with a cruciate ligament injury sustained in August.
Although the midfielder is not yet ready for heavy minutes, De Zerbi believes Maddison’s creativity and leadership could still become an important factor during the final stretch as Tottenham try to claw their way out of the bottom three.
Beyond the immediate survival mission, De Zerbi also hinted that Tottenham are already planning significant changes once the season ends. He promised the club will be aggressive in addressing weaknesses during the summer transfer window to ensure this kind of struggle is not repeated.
