Tottenham's season has taken a significant turn, with manager Roberto De Zerbi pointing to a heated three-hour team meeting before the Manchester United match as a pivotal moment. This intense session, held in their team hotel, fostered an environment where players openly shared home truths, a departure from typical tactical discussions.
"In that meeting there was something different. If you are honest in the meeting and you remove the mask and explain your weaknesses a teammate can help you in a difficult moment," De Zerbi explained. He emphasized his belief in player relationships and connections over purely functional performance, stating, "I don't believe in robots. I don't believe you can come here, put on the shirt and go on the pitch. I believe in the right atmosphere."
The match against Manchester United, which followed the last international break, saw Tottenham at the bottom of the Premier League. Despite playing well, they went behind and had Rodrigo Bentancur sent off for an incident involving Luke Shaw. However, the team rallied, eventually securing a late equalizer. This display of fight, De Zerbi believes, was partly ignited by Bentancur's red card.
"Very important," De Zerbi said of the red card. "I don't know if without that red card the reaction would have been like this, but the reaction was good because sometimes we are afraid to show more passion."
Following this match, and with Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall unavailable due to suspension and injury respectively, De Zerbi experimented with a 3-5-2 formation against Coventry. This period also saw the return of James Maddison, who marked his first start in nearly 18 months with a goal. The team then underwent a four-night training break in Marbella before returning to a more familiar 4-2-3-1 shape for the Chelsea match.
Key player Sandro Tonali, who arrived on a club-record fee, has found his form after a sluggish start. De Zerbi noted that Tonali needs to be active on the pitch to perform at his best, and the Italian midfielder has since become a dominant presence. "To play well, Tonali has to run and to work on the pitch," the manager stated.
The return of other players, including Mo Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski, has also boosted morale. Dominic Solanke, described as a genuine center forward capable of linking play, has helped the team gel, though De Zerbi acknowledged that both he and Omar Marmoush are currently experiencing low confidence.
De Zerbi has also begun integrating academy talent, with 18-year-old attacking midfielder Luca Williams-Barnett making his Premier League debut. The manager urged the young player to focus on improvement, stay off social media, and learn from experienced teammates, suggesting he has the potential to become a top player.
With ambitions for the Premier League title being openly discussed by club leadership, De Zerbi stressed the importance of consistent mentality and daily effort. "The first thing for people in this club is to be ambitious but to be ambitious you have to show the right mentality every day, game by game because words are not enough," he said. He added that the club's ongoing changes under the current ownership and management aim to foster the right behavior and mentality to achieve results.