Credit: Imago

Scott Mason

Tue 26 May 2026 19:10, UK

Roberto De Zerbi’s work at Tottenham Hotspur has only just begun after keeping the Lilywhites in the Premier League.

The real work is now set to get underway as Spurs look to get back among the European contenders in the seasons to follow.

Early signs show that De Zerbi may have been a shrewd arrival for the North London outfit, but his mettle will truly be tested now.

The Italian has plenty of issues to fix, and he will not be able to solve them overnight.

However, there are plenty that should be at the top of the manager’s list ahead of next season for Tottenham.

Current home form cannot continue for Tottenham

Tottenham’s home form this season has been truly horrendous, and it is perhaps one of the bigger reasons behind their relegation fight.

Throughout the season, Spurs won just a total of 15 points from a possible 57; meanwhile, away from home, they won 26 from 57.

In terms of the away table, the Lilywhites have actually ended up in 6th place. With their home tally leaving them in 18th.

Obviously, there seems to be quite a disconnect with the squad and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and if De Zerbi can get fans off their feet and excited, that could all change.

The 12th man may be a football trope, but it is very real. The supercomputer has also shared where Tottenham should have finished.

Midfield must be quicker to close down opposition

Interestingly, Tottenham are quite poor at closing down shots from range, and they have actually conceded the most throughout the season.

According to the BBC, via Opta, the Lilywhites have allowed 13 goals from outside the box, with Liverpool next up at 11.

This is likely a midfield issue, or perhaps even a complacency one. With energy, pressing and determination under De Zerbi, Spurs could leave the opposition players with minimal time to take a shot from range.

Goals out of nowhere can change the course of a match, especially if a side is not on top during the game. This makes it a vital issue to solve.

A new mentality must be drilled into the squad

It is perhaps the most obvious of the problems, but after two seasons finishing in 17th, the players need to rediscover that they are playing for Tottenham.

Standards have dropped to an absolute low, and the Europa League success has seemingly had no bearing on the mentality of his side.

James Maddison has already spoken about life feeling different under De Zerbi, but hopefully that is not just a honeymoon phase for the Italian.

This is the most important issue for the manager to fix, and this solely relies on his ability to man-manage.