Roberto De Zerbi is working to repair the morale of his beleaguered Tottenham stars by peppering them with video clips of happier times.
The new Spurs boss is certain confidence holds the key to avoiding relegation.
‘I am honest and sincere,’ said De Zerbi, ahead of Saturday’s crucial trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers. ‘I don’t say something when I don’t believe it. I am sure they are good players.
‘I don’t know what happened in the past with other coaches before I came and I want to show them what they are good at on the pitch, because they have incredible qualities.
‘Their qualities are enough to win the game and stay up. If you speak every day about the faults, the head of the players stays on the faults. We have to be positive.’
De Zerbi has worked hard on the training pitch but is trying everything. He has shown misfiring forward Randal Kolo Muani clips from YouTube and WyScout of his prolific form at Eintracht Frankfurt where he scored 26 in 50 games.
Roberto de Zerbi has been showing clips of Tottenham players in happier times in an attempt to repair their confidence
De Zerbi believes confidence is key for his players as they face a must-win game at Wolves in their fight to avoid relegation
‘We have no time and we have to consider everything to stay up,’ said 46-year-old De Zerbi. ‘Sometimes my words are not enough, and I try to find the right solution to reach every player.
‘Sometimes you arrive with a video. Sometimes with words, sometimes with red wine or a beer.’
Wolves will be De Zerbi’s third game as Spurs boss. His first was a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland and his second a 2-2 draw with Brighton with his team crushed by an equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
There have been encouraging signs, especially against Brighton on Sunday, but only five games remain. Time is vanishing fast if he is to find the win that can really transform the mood.
‘Results change things,’ said De Zerbi, summoning as an example from his time as Brighton boss, a 4-1 victory over Chelsea after failing to win in any of his first five. ‘After that, we won three games in a row.’
The same can happen to Spurs, he believes, if they can halt this run of 15 games without a Premier League win, a run stretching back to December and only one short of equalling the club record.
James Maddison will be on Tottenham’s bench on Saturday with the aim of providing positive energy to the squad
‘To win a game can give us, give them more energy, more confidence, more positivity,’ said De Zerbi, who will again try to harness the positive vibes of James Maddison, a surprise selection among the substitutes on Sunday although he did not warm up and was never looked like coming on.
Maddison has not played since damaging knee ligaments last summer and although training and close to full fitness is still not ready.
‘He is not available yet, especially in this week,’ said De Zerbi. ‘He felt pain but not such an important problem.
‘He will come with us on the bench because he is important whether he plays or not. It is better if he plays, but he is a leader and a positive guy.’
