Tottenham Hotspur have been told their “biggest mistake” this season may have been in how they handled the timing of appointing Roberto De Zerbi, according to pundit Stephen Warnock.
Tottenham have endured a chaotic managerial campaign, with Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor both taking charge before De Zerbi’s arrival. Frank managed just 1.12 points per game in the Premier League, while Tudor’s brief spell was particularly difficult, yielding only one point from five matches.
Tudor’s departure paved the way for De Zerbi’s appointment, and the Italian has already shown signs of improvement, collecting a better points-per-game return than both of his predecessors in a short spell.
Spurs are still fighting for survival and remain in the relegation zone, but they could climb out of the bottom three with a win against Aston Villa on Sunday evening.
Warnock: Spurs should have appointed De Zerbi earlier
Former Premier League defender Stephen Warnock believes Tottenham’s error was not bringing in De Zerbi sooner, suggesting the club delayed a decision that could have changed their season.
Speaking to Football Focus, Warnock said Tottenham’s “biggest mistake” was appointing Tudor first instead of moving earlier for De Zerbi.
He argued that had De Zerbi been given the same time frame as Tudor, Spurs would likely not be in their current relegation battle.
De Zerbi’s late arrival shaped Spurs’ situation
In hindsight, De Zerbi’s early impact suggests he may have picked up points in matches where Tudor struggled.
However, Tottenham’s decision-making was complicated by uncertainty over whether the Italian would even accept the job mid-season.
Reports suggested that De Zerbi initially preferred waiting until the summer before taking charge, which forced Spurs to explore alternative options before eventually convincing him to take over.
By the time he changed his stance, the club had already appointed Tudor, making the sequence of decisions more complicated.
Focus shifts to survival run-in
Despite the missed opportunity to appoint him earlier, Tottenham now have to rely on De Zerbi to deliver results in the final stretch of the season.
With survival still in their hands, the coming fixtures will determine whether Spurs can escape relegation or suffer a dramatic drop to the Championship.
