Ben Jacobs has assessed where Roberto De Zerbi stands at Tottenham after a winless start to the season, and while he isn’t predicting an imminent sacking, the warning is plain enough: results need to turn around, and fast.
Speaking on GiveMeSport’s Market Madness podcast, the senior football correspondent said De Zerbi joined Tottenham as part of a long-term project, but noted that the club currently lacks the sporting infrastructure to make a definitive call on his position. Jacobs said continued poor results would force even well-run clubs to start thinking about a succession plan, though he isn’t expecting a surprise departure during the international break.
Jacobs on Tottenham’s sporting structure
According to Jacobs, Spurs are focused behind the scenes on filling a senior football role, whether that’s another sporting official, a co-sporting director, or some form of executive, before any assessment of De Zerbi is made. Only once that appointment is in place, he suggested, will the club properly weigh up the manager’s future.
It’s a fair question given the numbers. Spurs have collected two points from five Premier League matches, with zero wins, two draws and three losses, scoring twice and conceding eight, despite an outlay of more than £300 million on ten new arrivals over the summer. They’ve also been knocked out of the League Cup by Liverpool, and their most recent league outing ended in a 3-2 home defeat to Aston Villa.
Where Spurs stand
The club’s mood, per Jacobs, remains relatively calm rather than panicked, which fits the broader picture of a squad rebuild still finding its feet. De Zerbi himself has said it’s only a matter of time before the goals and wins arrive, and Unai Emery has backed him to succeed, going as far as predicting a top-four finish. Spurs face Manchester United away after the break, then Coventry City at home – De Zerbi’s window to show he’s worth the patience starts there.
