Roberto De Zerbi’s commitment to his footballing philosophy as he navigates a challenging seven-game run to keep Tottenham Hotspur afloat in the Premier League remains uncertain. The Italian manager might sensibly view this task as something to ponder for the future, possibly addressing it over the summer.

For now, De Zerbi must grapple with the immediate issues that have frustrated Tottenham’s recent managers. Concerns such as player injuries, fitness levels, and the availability of substitutes are at the forefront.

Nonetheless, De Zerbi is a coach driven by a fervent desire to implement his vision. “My idea is very simple,” he shared with me during our meeting at an Italian restaurant in Brighton back in November 2022. It was his first interview with a newspaper, just two months after he arrived in Sussex.

“I have a passion for players who operate between the lines. I admire center-backs who take command of the play. I want to enjoy coaching because I spend a significant portion of my day doing it, and if it isn’t enjoyable, it becomes really difficult.”

Fans who observed Ange Postecoglou’s tenure might notice similar tactical strategies. De Zerbi favors technical players across the field, employs a back four, and prefers to split the center halves and play out from the back. This strategy includes the goalkeeper, an intriguing detail we’ll explore further.

How closely will Roberto De Zerbi stick to his principles at Spurs?

He was beloved for a time at Brighton, and led them into Europe for the first time in their history

De Zerbi’s approach requires quick ball movement, which demands smart decision-making under pressure. This has been a challenge for many Spurs players, particularly this season. In attack, De Zerbi favors diversity, pace, and individual flair, with a focus on overloading wide areas and relying on a strong, mobile center forward capable of holding the ball and finishing chances.

It is easy to imagine him warming to Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro and Archie Gray. He will be keen to have Mohammed Kudus and Rodrigo Bentancur on the way back from injuries this month.

Kudus, who almost joined De Zerbi’s Brighton from Ajax in 2023 when he ended up at West Ham, and Xavi Simons have the individual flair to suit De Zerbi’s fluid style. They can beat opponents and thread passes.

Dominic Solanke could adapt to be his sort of centre forward but there are options in this position and over the next seven games he will be looking simply for any striker who can score him goals. Pape Matar Sarr and Joao Palhinha are more effective without the ball but have been vital to Spurs this season, and the new boss will know he cannot afford to discard them.

The rest of this season is about binding the team together. There will have to be an element of compromise from De Zerbi, even if compromise is not usually his strength. Djed Spence’s habit of switching off and Mathys Tel’s occasional reluctance to track back will be among the things sent to test the volatile Italian on the touchline.

It will be interesting to see where he deploys Micky van de Ven. Igor Tudor was criticised for playing the Dutchman at left back, but it is the position he plays for his country, and De Zerbi made good use of central defender Levi Colwill at left back in the latter part of his first season at Brighton.

His arrival at the Amex Stadium, however, was a step into a very different situation to the mess greeting him at Spurs. At Brighton, De Zerbi inherited a talented, skilfully assembled squad with a neat balance of youth and experience. The team had been well coached under Graham Potter, and he came in and made them more tactically aggressive and dynamic.

Lewis Dunk was a fixture and a leader at the back. Moises Caicedo, Pascal Gross and Alexis Mac Allister in midfield. Kaoru Mitoma, then in his first Premier League season, dazzling on the left wing in combination with the attacking instincts of Pervis Estupinan or the solidity of on-loan teenager Colwill at left back.

Igor Tudor was criticised for playing Micky van de Ven (right) at left back, but that is where the Dutchman plays for his country and De Zerbi may prefer the solidity he offers

At Brighton, De Zerbi inherited a talented, skilfully assembled squad with a balance of youth and experience – including stars Leandro Trossard, Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister

Antonin Kinsky (centre) was hooked after two bad errors with the ball at his feet against Atletico Madrid – will De Zerbi stand for that? 

There were some exceptional players. Leandro Trossard, who scored a hat-trick at Liverpool in De Zerbi’s first Premier League game, joined Arsenal in January. Evan Ferguson burst through and De Zerbi helped Danny Welbeck spark the best form of his career.

In goal, De Zerbi promoted Jason Steele at the expense of Robert Sanchez, having figured out he was calmer on the ball with better vision and more likely to pick the right passes. Steele responded and excelled, scouring footage of De Zerbi’s goalkeepers at Shakhtar Donetsk and Sassuolo.

Then 32, Steele produced a late career flourish. He signed a new contract last year and joined England’s squad for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan to evaluate his potential to join Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad as a training-only goalkeeper.

Spurs have, to put it mildly, had trouble with their goalkeepers. Guglielmo Vicario, who is now recovering from hernia surgery, has often struggled playing out. Antonin Kinsky, brought in by Tudor to replace Vicario against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, was brutally hooked within 17 minutes having made two costly errors with the ball at his feet.

Maybe this is one of the changes that can wait, but Jack Stern, a goalkeeping coach who worked closely with Steele and left Brighton last summer, is tipped to join De Zerbi’s backroom team at Spurs.

The potentially short-term nature of the job will have an impact on the coaching staff. Bruno Saltor, another with Brighton pedigree who left the Amex with Potter when De Zerbi came in, is holding the fort at Spurs and will be there to lean on. Italian Marcello Quinto, who worked with him at Brighton and Marseille, could also join his Spurs staff.