Tottenham finally act on damaging weakness after review - Roberto De Zerbi will reap rewards
Tottenham Hotspur have begun transforming their first-team facilities ahead of the coming season.
It has been a summer of wholesale change so far, after Premier League survival was sealed in May.
Things could have been very different for the Lilywhites, had Roberto De Zerbi not sparked the needed turnaround.
Instead, they are able to rebuild and reset after successive 17th-place finishes.
Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and more have all came through the door, while Spurs are not stopping there with incomings.
And alongside this, Tottenham seem keen to finally address key issues that have been holding them back for year after year when compared to their rivals.
Key developments commence as Vinai Venkatesham promise backed up by action
At the end of last season, the hierarchy all promised action, with the club acknowledging that the 2025-26 campaign had been unacceptable.
It was said that football and performance were being placed at the heart of decision-making, and that has most certainly been the case so far.
Alasdair Gold of Football.London reports that the team gym is undergoing a "complete transformation," forcing De Zerbi's players to conduct their opening pre-season tests in a smaller gym in The Lodge - the hotel on Hotspur Way.
When performance director Dan Lewindon was appointed last October, his review findings outlined that the gym was "nowhere near the level of bigger club's ones."
The most important thing is that Spurs have listened to Lewindon's advice, and that performance really does seem to be at the centre of the approach.
Alongside the gym, the restaurant and tactical spaces are also undergoing changes.
Tottenham fans have wanted to see action for years, and they are finally beginning to get exactly that.
Can Tottenham fans finally start to believe in direction?
After years of mismanagement, fans in North London naturally ended up fearing the worst as their side slipped towards relegation last term.
Just a matter of months later, it really does feel that a fresh start has been granted.
Promises have been kept, and for once, real action does seem to be being taken - in the transfer market and behind the scenes.
New boss De Zerbi has been a combustible figure in previous roles, and has never been afraid to speak his mind if he does not get what he wants.
At Tottenham, he is in an environment that is functional, and healing from the wounds of recent years.
In general, that is quite unbelievable for Spurs fans, but there genuinely is an exciting future, and the hierarchy deserve every bit of credit for adjusting the direction and making this happen.