Tottenham's New Era Under Roberto de Zerbi: A Shift to Offensive Football

Tottenham spent last season trapped in a loop of uncertainty, cycling through three managers and never quite settling on an identity. Thomas Frank, brought in as the steady hand, lasted less than eight months before the axe fell. His “safety-first” approach, designed to calm the chaos, instead drained the life from a fanbase that craves front-foot football.

The disconnect was obvious. Spurs supporters watched a side that seemed permanently on the back foot, cautious in possession, reluctant to commit bodies forward. Results wobbled, the atmosphere soured, and Frank never truly found a way into the hearts of the crowd. By the time the decision came, it felt inevitable.

Now, the mood around the club is shifting. Micky van de Ven sees it every day on the training pitch.

Roberto de Zerbi has arrived with a clear promise: the football will be different.

“It’s going to be different compared to the manager we had last season,” Van de Ven said. “It’s going to be more with the ball, I think, more about playing football. I think it’s also going to be more enjoyable for people to watch because we’ll be playing offensive football.”

That is exactly what Spurs fans have been demanding. Not just wins, but a style that fits the club’s long-standing self-image. De Zerbi’s reputation is built on possession, patterns, and brave attacking play. For a squad that spent much of last season pinned in its own half, the contrast is stark.

The change is not just tactical. It’s emotional.

“You can see he has brought a lot of passion into our group, a lot in terms of mentality and passion on the pitch,” Van de Ven said. “It is something we needed because everybody was a little bit down.”

That line cuts to the core of where Tottenham were. A club drained. A dressing room flat. A fanbase tired of watching a team that looked like it was playing with the handbrake on.

De Zerbi has walked straight into that void and filled it with energy. Training has been shaped by a full pre-season, something last year’s revolving-door setup never allowed. New signings have arrived into a structure that is being drilled from day one, not patched together on the fly.

“He brings a lot of good energy and, from pre-season, we have really had the time to bring his football into the team,” Van de Ven said. “That’s really enjoyable.”

Enjoyment. It’s a simple word, but at Tottenham it has often felt like a luxury. Now, with a coach obsessed with the ball and a squad eager to shed last season’s caution, it might just become their starting point.