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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.