After Igor Tudor departed on Sunday via 'mutual consent', Spurs have hit their lowest point in 50 years.
The Croatian coach added just one point to their Premier League in his five games in charge, despite being described as a 'firefighter'. The style of play, some mindbending tactical decisions and a spiky persona did not serve the side well during his short and ultimately doomed tenure, seeing the north London club slip further into the mire after Thomas Frank's similarly disastrous reign.
The Tottenham board, who have to take a bulk of the responsibility for this season's failures, are now pursuing De Zerbi. The Italian, once famed as a tactical wizard, resigned from his role at Marseille earlier this year and was linked with Spurs before they went with Tudor, and now he is seen as the final saviour to keep them afloat.
But, tying your sinking ship to something waiting to explode doesn't tend to end well.
Warnings of the past
The deal reportedly on the table to bring De Zerbi in for the final seven games of the season has all the hallmarks of a panic move.
With relegation staring them in the face, Spurs are set to make him one of the best-paid coaches in the Premier League with a five-year contract. It is also likely he will receive a huge bonus if he can keep them in the English top flight.
That short-term goal is the only thing on the board's mind right now, but a cursory glance at how well De Zerbi starts at his previous clubs would be a cause for concern.
At Brighton, where he made his name, he failed to win any of his first five games. He did win four of his first five at Marseille - against weaker opposition - but struggled to contest against clubs around them in the table.
Tottenham have just seven games left to save themselves. De Zerbi would have to have an instant impact, something he has not consistently done.
If he does perform well and keep their status for another year, the problem won't be dealt with. In his last three managerial roles, he has never made it to the two-year mark and has fallen out with both players and owners often.
This happened at Brighton and at Marseille, although, in fairness, his time at Shakhtar was cut short due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
He would take the Seagulls into Europe for the first time in their history and the French side back to second in the league, but both spells were ended after poor form.
Even if he does succeed in this sprint finish, the appointment does not suggest security and stabilisation, both so needed to get the fans back on side.
Discontent with fans
Once rumours surfaced after the exit of Tudor about the pursuit of De Zerbi, Tottenham fans were quick to voice their opinion on the appointment.
Fan group, Women of the Lane, questioned the club's leadership and decision-making after the Italian coach defended Marseille forward Mason Greenwood. He said the former Manchester United player had paid 'a heavy price' and was a 'good guy' despite allegations of attempted rape and assault, which have since been dropped.
The group added that this was not a managerial appointment that Tottenham Hotspur should take.
Others have also criticised the move, with Proud Lilywhites, a LGBTQ+ fan group, adding: "When someone in that position publicly defends a player like Mason Greenwood, and frames it in a way that downplays the seriousness of what happened, it matters, not just in isolation but in what it signals."
De Zerbi's comments are in poor taste, but not wholly surprising. Castigating a player of Greenwood's impact at Marseille, despite the horrific accusations made against him, would have been detrimental for De Zerbi, suggesting a pragmatic persona, but one without strict morals.
Tottenham, like other Premier League clubs, take their public relations seriously and would have factored in the backlash of appointing De Zerbi into their decision. Right now, safety is needed, and it outweighs any pitfalls with the manager's personality.
This short-termism, a similar thought process behind the appointment of Tudor, has not worked for them. Poor choice after poor choice has put them in this position, and they are heading back to the roulette wheel again to go all-in on a character that will divide opinion. If results come their way, the voices will grow quieter, but this is a big if right now.
Spurs' home league form has been abysmal in 2025/26. Of all 20 Premier League teams, it is the worst. They have picked up just 10 points from a possible 48, with two wins, four draws and 10 losses. Re-righting that with minimal preparation is going to be a tall order for whoever takes over.
How will De Zerbi set Tottenham up to avoid the drop?
In March 2024, Jurgen Klopp was incredibly complimentary of De Zerbi's Brighton side, saying, "I told De Zerbi to keep turning the football world upside down. I will watch it from some distance. I respect so much what he’s doing.”
High praise indeed, and despite his fiery temper and his less-than-ideal public comments, De Zerbi is a manager whose tactics have worked at the highest level.
He started the idea of 'possessional transition' early in his career with Sassuolo, essentially baiting a team into pressing before exploiting the space with quick passing that had been left behind.
He carried this over to his time at Brighton, earning plaudits from the likes of Klopp, but in this data-driven world of high analysis, his patterns of play were worked out, leading to poor runs of form to end his tenure with the Seagulls, and more recently, Marseille.
At the AMEX Stadium, he opted for a 4-2-3-1 system, which transitioned into a 3-4-3 with the Ligue 1 side, allowing his goalkeeper to play a more decisive role in build-up.
This system relies on close ball control and superb communication to break the press. This season, Spurs have shown no indication of being able to break lines and be disciplined enough to continue a game plan throughout 90 minutes of play.
This suggests, then, that De Zerbi will ultimately have to ditch his principles to season's end. With a back three, played by Frank and, in part, by Tudor, they looked listless, unable to break through low blocks and were vulnerable to any side who outnumbered them in the middle of the pitch.
The principles have changed in the Premier League, too. Few teams press high, and they are more physical, with individual duels back in the spotlight. Teams play more directly and use set-pieces as a main weapon. Whatever formation De Zerbi opts for, he will have to adapt to ensure survival.
Can Spurs survive?
By handing De Zerbi such a long-term deal in what is Spurs' biggest crisis ever, it feels brain-dead. They are putting all of their chips on an unpredictable coach and hoping it doesn't blow up in their face.
Undoubtedly, on paper, they have the strongest squad out of the teams fighting at the bottom of the league. However, they have no momentum, zero confidence, and no plan. This is a recipe for disaster, and there is no guarantee the Italian can get them out of it.
Even if he does, explosivity follows him around, and it is naive to think he would see out the proposed five-year deal.
Ultimately, results matter right now more than anything for Tottenham Hotspur. A summer of wholesale change must follow across all levels of the club if they are to stop the freefall, and that has to come whether relegation precedes it or not.
De Zerbi may be the answer right now, but it only brings more questions for a club destined for more malaise, no matter what division they are in.
