Spurs fans have every right to be uneasy about where Roberto De Zerbi is taking the team, but sacking him now would be the wrong call. The results have been poor, frustration is rising and the attack has looked blunt, yet the club has already lived through too much upheaval in recent years. Removing a manager before his ideas have had a fair run could create more trouble than it fixes. Supporters are right to demand a side that competes with the best, creates chances and plays with the confidence its resources should bring. Still, wanting improvement is a different thing from insisting the manager go at once. The real question is whether De Zerbi is truly unable to turn things around, or whether he simply needs more time, steadier results and proper backing from the people above him.
Tottenham’s recent past is the strongest argument for patience. Each new appointment has arrived with fresh promises and a new philosophy, only for the plan to be dropped when results dipped, leaving the squad to adjust to yet another system. If De Zerbi were shown the door, his successor would inherit largely the same players, the same weaknesses and the same expectations. Recruitment, squad balance and the wider footballing strategy would matter just as much whoever sat in the dugout. If the club believes De Zerbi is the right man for its next chapter, it has to show that belief when things get hard. Hiring a coach and then discarding him before his methods have taken hold would also make it harder to sell the club’s long-term project to anyone.
None of this means the current form is acceptable. Defeats to Brentford, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest have increased the pressure, and the goalless draw with Everton only added to it. For a club that has spent heavily, those displays are hard to swallow. But results alone don’t tell the whole story. The quality of chances, tactical shape, player availability, individual mistakes and the response to setbacks all deserve weighing. If the forwards aren’t finishing, the fix might lie in better movement or different attacking partnerships. If the midfield is the issue, the way the team moves the ball forward may need rethinking. Those problems call for honest analysis, not an automatic sacking. De Zerbi must be held accountable and show he can spot flaws, make smart changes and deliver measurable progress, but accountability doesn’t have to end in dismissal.
It also takes time to build a team in his image. De Zerbi favours playing out from the back, pulling opponents forward and exploiting the gaps that open up through clever movement. That demands players who understand their roles, stay calm under pressure and choose well in tight moments. When it clicks, the football can be attractive and progressive. When players don’t yet grasp it or lack the right qualities, the same approach can leave a team exposed and invite criticism. Spurs have to ask whether they hired him for his principles or simply for quick results. If they wanted a distinctive style, they can’t walk away from it at the first real obstacle. Some players may need time to learn their jobs and others may not suit the system, which is exactly what a coherent recruitment plan should address.
The players share the blame as well. A manager can set up the team and give clear instructions, but he can’t take every pass, win every duel or finish every chance himself. Wasteful forwards must sharpen up, defenders who make costly errors must concentrate better, and midfielders who keep giving the ball away in dangerous areas must make better decisions. Putting every failure on De Zerbi alone would be unfair, and fans should expect more from everyone, including the coaching staff and the club’s decision-makers. At the same time, De Zerbi has to prove he can motivate the squad, lift individual performances and set standards the players are held to. Backing him doesn’t mean unlimited protection, only a reasonable chance to fix what he is responsible for.
A fresh dismissal might feel like decisive action, especially with supporters calling for change, but the consequences would reach well beyond one man’s exit. The club would need to find and negotiate with a replacement, perhaps rebuild the coaching staff, and then watch the squad go through another adjustment period under new instructions. Compensation, transfer priorities and the direction of the project would all come into question. Above all, a new manager would not automatically cure the goalscoring problems. If the root causes are squad construction, shaky confidence or a lack of suitable attackers, changing the boss alone may achieve little. Spurs shouldn’t mistake a dramatic move for an effective one, and should first work out what is really going wrong and whether it can be fixed under the current manager.
Supporters aren’t asking for perfection, just proof that the club is heading the right way. They want a team that fights, creates chances regularly and has the tactical smarts to respond when opponents make life awkward, backed by a hierarchy that acts on a coherent long-term plan rather than a knee-jerk reaction to a few bad results. De Zerbi should know that patience has to be earned through progress, and if performances stay poor and goals keep drying up, the criticism will only grow. But if the team becomes better organised, creates more and slowly rebuilds its confidence, there is a good case for sticking with him. Clear performance targets, regular reviews and proper support in addressing the squad’s weaknesses would be far more sensible than letting talk about his future overshadow every disappointing result.
Ultimately, Tottenham are entitled to expect more from De Zerbi, and he must accept that results decide a manager’s fate. But dismissing him without properly diagnosing why the team is struggling could be another expensive error at a club that needs stability as much as success. If the evidence shows progress is still possible, patience will be worth far more than another upheaval. Spurs can’t keep promising a new beginning while scrapping the last one before it has had a fair chance. For fans who want a club built on clear principles, smart recruitment and steady growth, the message is simple: judge De Zerbi on whether he can improve the team, not just on the sting of the latest result.
