The huge new challenge facing Roberto De Zerbi as Tottenham usher in new era

The new Premier League season seems to come around earlier each year. But for Tottenham ’s supporters, the wait has been agonising as they look forward to what promises to be a new era under Roberto De Zerbi .

After hurtling headfirst into the transfer market , Spurs got the bulk of their business done early, with Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke all through the door by the first week of July.

Add to that the free signings of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka , and expectations have been allowed to simmer away all summer, with talk of a European push very much on the cards.

De Zerbi has overseen a remarkable change in the mood around the club. Spurs, after all, only secured their Premier League survival on the final day of last season.

The work the Italian has put in to foster a feel-good atmosphere is paying dividends. But having connected on a personal level with a previously disjointed squad, he now needs to relate to his players on a tactical level as he tries to implement his style and personality on the team.

Roberto De Zerbi has had plenty of time on the training ground to bed in his ‘intricate’ tactics AFP/Getty De Zerbi’s tactics are intricate and can take time to bed in, so he gives great attention to ensuring he makes the details digestible for his players. There is a reason behind every decision, and Spurs’ squad will have been talked through the whys and why-nots of every action they take.

That consideration also extends to the transfer market, where De Zerbi has been heavily involved in hand-picking each target. Whether it’s Fernandes’ composure under pressure, Van Hecke’s line-breaking passes or Robertson’s leadership, it is clear what role each player will have within the squad.

Manchester City duo Savinho and Omar Marmoush are also expected to come in to bolster Spurs’ attacking options.

A busy but well-executed transfer window has seen Spurs address a myriad of issues across the squad, and they head into Saturday’s Premier League curtain-raiser away to Brentford with plenty of optimism.

Mateus Fernandes has impressed in the early days of his Tottenham career Getty One issue that continues to frustrate De Zerbi, however, is his side’s injury problems. Where Spurs have been aggressive in the transfer market, they have been far more cautious in the medical department.

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This means they will be without their newly announced captain, Micky van de Ven, and his second in command, Pedro Porro, against Brentford.

Both players returned late from the World Cup, and De Zerbi revealed in his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon that Van de Ven has been struggling with an issue suffered during the club’s pre-season tour.