The Croatian oversaw just seven matches in north London — having stepped in purely on a temporary basis after Thomas Frank’s dismissal in February — before leaving the club by mutual consent. Currently occupying 17th place in the Premier League table, just one point above the relegation zone with seven fixtures remaining in 2025/26, De Zerbi faces a monumental challenge to turn fortunes around at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And according to former Spurs goalkeeper Friedel, the 46-year-old should set aside tactical refinements and instead channel his efforts into rebuilding confidence throughout his squad if the club is to retain its place in the top flight next campaign.
Speaking to football.london via Gambling.com who review all slot sites UK, Friedel said: “They don’t need a big tactics board at this moment in time. They need someone to give the best players the confidence to perform and get some points on the board.
“And I think whatever way they go, they should be getting at least two players back that are influential players from injury soon. And that’ll help a lot because those players haven’t been involved in a lot of the downfalls.
“So they’ll be coming onto the pitch hopefully, maybe not with match fitness, but at least with the confidence of winning football matches and being involved in Champions League games and towards the upper half and the upper echelons of the Premier League table. So that’s how I see it.”
He added: “When you’re in a relegation battle, it becomes a much more difficult mental game than when you’re fighting the top of the table. So I’m worried as an ex Tottenham guy. I am worried because it could happen that they’re relegated.
“So the coach that goes in, he’s got some character building and confidence building. And one word that I haven’t heard in a long time around Tottenham is enjoyment. He’s got to get the players enjoying football. It’s a game. Let’s never forget that.
“The worst day of football is still the best day of your life when you’re a player. You get to my age, you know that. And it hits you, how fun it was while you were playing. So somebody’s got to go in there and get the smile back on the players’ faces.”
De Zerbi’s opening assignment as Spurs boss will be a challenging journey to the Stadium of Light to take on Sunderland AFC on Sunday, April 12. De Zerbi will then confront a trip to the AMEX Stadium against his previous employers Brighton just six days afterwards, before a fixture with Wolves on April 25 completes the month’s sequence of matches.