De Zerbi Identifies the Biggest Change Tottenham Need to Become a Top Team
Roberto De Zerbi has wasted little time making his expectations clear at Tottenham Hotspur, and after a difficult start to the season, the Italian manager has identified one crucial area that could determine whether Spurs can finally take the next giant step toward becoming a genuine top team.
Tottenham’s opening Premier League performance against Brentford offered very little encouragement. Spurs struggled to match the Bees’ intensity, failed to impose themselves on the contest and looked short of the attacking sharpness required to compete consistently at the highest level.
But De Zerbi demanded a reaction—and Tottenham delivered in emphatic fashion.
In their first home game of the season against Charlton, Spurs produced a completely different performance, dominating proceedings and securing a convincing 5-1 victory in the Carabao Cup. The result provided a much-needed boost, while new signing Savio immediately gave supporters another reason for optimism.
Coming off the bench, Savio produced an electric cameo, scoring his first Tottenham goal and setting up another. His performance underlined the attacking quality now available to De Zerbi and offered a glimpse of what Spurs could become if their forwards begin to consistently deliver in the final third.
However, De Zerbi believes there is still a major step Tottenham must take.
Goals Must Become the New Obsession
Tottenham’s lack of goals was one of their biggest weaknesses last season, with the Lilywhites scoring only 48 times across 38 Premier League matches. For a club with ambitions of returning to the top end of English football, that figure simply is not enough.
De Zerbi has therefore placed enormous emphasis on attacking productivity. He wants his players to create more chances, take more shots, combine more effectively and become far more ruthless whenever they reach the final 30 metres of the pitch.
Following the 5-1 victory, the Tottenham boss made his message unmistakable: goals must become a major target for his squad.
The Italian knows Spurs possess players capable of making a difference, but talent alone will not be enough. Every attacker must accept responsibility for producing numbers, while competition for places could become fierce as De Zerbi looks for players capable of creating and scoring consistently.
That could make the coming weeks fascinating. Players who fail to contribute in the final third could quickly find themselves battling for their place, while those who consistently provide goals and assists are likely to earn De Zerbi’s trust.
Charlton Win Is Only the Beginning
Despite the emphatic scoreline, De Zerbi was careful not to suggest that Tottenham had suddenly solved all of their problems.
The performance was undoubtedly a huge improvement, but Charlton represented a different challenge from Premier League opposition. The real test will come when Spurs face stronger teams capable of exploiting weaknesses under pressure.
For De Zerbi, consistency is the key.
He wants Tottenham to win three, four, five or even six matches in succession and develop a completely different mentality. The manager believes the club cannot simply rely on one impressive performance before returning to old habits.
That mentality shift could ultimately be more important than any individual signing.
Tottenham finished 17th in the Premier League in each of the previous two seasons, a record that De Zerbi clearly wants his players to leave firmly in the past. He insists the new campaign represents a fresh beginning, with different players, different ambitions and a different atmosphere around the club.
De Zerbi Wants a New Tottenham Mentality
Perhaps the most important message from the Spurs boss is that ambition must become part of the club’s daily culture.
De Zerbi wants his players to remain humble, focused and disciplined, but he also wants them to believe they can win consistently. Simply turning up for training is not enough. The squad must arrive with the mentality that it can compete, improve and ultimately win.
That combination of humility and ambition could become the foundation of the De Zerbi era.
The 5-1 victory over Charlton was therefore more than just a comfortable cup win. It was an opportunity for Tottenham to demonstrate that they can respond to disappointment and play with greater attacking confidence.
Now comes the difficult part: proving it repeatedly.
If De Zerbi can transform Tottenham into a team that creates more chances, scores more goals and develops the mentality to win consistently, Spurs could become a completely different proposition this season.
The message is clear: Tottenham have the talent. Now De Zerbi wants the goals, the consistency and the mentality to turn that talent into a top team.
