The Totally Football Show · March 30, 2026 · 56 min

Is De Zerbi Spurs' saviour? Can Italy end their World Cup curse?

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Roberto De Zerbi to Tottenham rumors

Spurs have a major disconnect between fan base and club... and if Spurs appoint De Zerbi, who is by no means a sure thing, they are going to immediately alienate a section of the fan base who are never going to accept this guy.

Dan Kilpatrick

Tottenham managerial crisis

The biggest mistake I think they made was sitting on their hands for too long when it was clear that Thomas Frank wasn't working. I knew from the start of November as a Spurs fan that it just wasn't going to work.

Dan Kilpatrick

Roberto De Zerbi's management style

De Zerbi has a way of just grinding people down. He grinds the players down, creates this atmosphere of permanent tension, and what didn't help Marseille was that he was surrounded by senior figures who were similarly emotional.

Tom Williams

Tottenham's long-term contract strategy

It's just emblematic of everything that Spurs are now that a five-year deal would be basically determined successful failure within seven games.

Daniel Story

USMNT World Cup 2026 prospects

It was a reality check. I think for him, having said before the game that the goal for this U.S. team was to get to the semifinal of the next World Cup and then being completely dominated in that second half... it was a very, very deflating loss.

Felipe Cardenas

VAR controversy

The biggest tragedy of VAR has been the fact that goals no longer have any sense of permanence. It used to be the ultimate full stop to every sentence in every football match.

Tom Williams

I want to speak to the eight percent of people who don't think it affects their celebration of a goal when it's there. Like I want your confidence, I want your lack of self-doubt.

Daniel Story

Igor Tudor's failed tenure

I suspect that's exactly what he will say when he has meetings with clubs who are not Tottenham Hotspur. I mean, I thought it was a dreadful idea from the start. I know he had this firefighting reputation, but to me, that firefighter reputation always traditionally felt country dependent.

Daniel Story

AFCON trophy controversy

The fact that it was stripped from Senegal so long after the end of the tournament was farcical in and of itself and any subsequent decisions are only just going to add to the farce.

Tom Williams

France tactical analysis

The main takeaway from this international break is that France are very good... the key decision that Deschamps has made has been to shift the system to a 4-2-3-1 to put Michael Olise at number 10.

Tom Williams

England squad selection

The resonating quote from England-Uruguay was Thomas Tuchel describing Garner as the kind of mini Valverde, which is a whacking great compliment and is probably evidence that he has jumped slightly up the queue.

Daniel Story

Sponsored cooling breaks

It's like a classic sort of FIFA facilitated modern football thing, an idea that no one asked for, that no one wants, that makes the thing that you're watching worse.

Duncan Alexander