Roberto De Zerbi, welcome to your Mission: Impossible! How Tottenham can escape relegation despite season from hell

In his first interview with club channels, De Zerbi was asked to elaborate on his 'philosophy'. Given his previous teams all played an attractive brand of football and Spurs are generally a side associated with a fun if sometimes naive style, this was a natural question, but it was one the Italian batted away.

"I think it's not the right moment to speak about my philosophy for football. I'm here now, at the end of the season, because we have to win games. And in football, the style of play, the tactical disposition are important. [But] it's a mentality and I would like to help the players reach the best mentality we can show," he said.

De Zerbi is seemingly aware that not every part of Tottenham's performances for these final seven games will be perfect, rather it is now a time to get them back to their best from a mental perspective, something he elaborated on in an interview with NBC Sports.

"The players of Tottenham I consider very good players, normally. The moment is very tough for us," he said. "In this moment, the mental part is crucial. There are just seven games and we don't have enough time. I don't want to give too many instructions. This team has changed three coaches this season, I think they have to build a new mentality.

"We have the qualities to get out from this moment, but for sure the mental aspect is the most important."

When Tudor walked into Tottenham in February, he commented that he had never encountered a situation like the one just inherited. De Zerbi probably felt the same way on his first day, and even worse after it was confirmed this week Mohammed Kudus, who he tried to sign at Brighton, could miss the rest of the season after suffering a setback.

"I started with not big luck!" De Zerbi boomed. "Kudus was in my head a crucial player, especially for the position. But we have to look forward. I think we have a lot of very good attackers."

Rodrigo Bentancur is back in team training but not quite ready to play Premier League minutes again, while James Maddison is continuing his recovery from an ACL injury after Tudor claimed the playmaker could return before the season is out.

Sweden captain Dejan Kulusevski remains sidelined with a mystery knee issue, Wilson Odobert is unlikely to feature again in 2026 with his own ACL issue and senior statesman Ben Davies may well have played his final game for the club.

However, De Zerbi issued a rallying cry on Friday: "We have enough to fight, to play, to make points."

The Hotspur Way training facility on the edge of north London hasn't been a particularly happy place over the past couple of years. Even during Spurs' run to Europa League glory under Ange Postecoglou last season, the mood was dampened by their dismal Premier League campaign, which saw them tumble to 17th.

It's notable, then, that the Independent is already reporting that many Tottenham players 'love' the training sessions De Zerbi has put on for them so far. There is said to be an understanding as to why the likes of Pep Guardiola have been so impressed with his coaching.

This is precisely the sort of impact that Spurs would have been hoping for behind the scenes. They now need this sentiment to translate into results on the pitch. But given performances have followed the trend of how happy the team is, this is undoubtedly a promising sign.

There was a school of thought that all Tottenham needed to become a bit more robust at the back was for first-choice centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven to remain fit. Well, the two have been available for most Spurs games this season and the leak in defence has only gotten worse.

Part of the problem, particularly under Frank, was this partnership was pushed to its limit. These are two players used to playing in a high line and with possession, rather than in a deep block and merely defending the box.

This culture of fearing the ball is best evidenced in the raw numbers. The Athletic calculated that Spurs have given up a Premier League-high 39 shots from errors, yet neither Romero nor Van de Ven were among the many, many main culprits in racking up that number.

De Zerbi's inverse style to Frank's will too lead to errors, but so long as Spurs have a clear idea of how they want to play football, they should be a more coherent team for it at both ends of the pitch.

With Guglielmo Vicario set for a short spell on the sidelines following hernia surgery, back-up goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky is set for a run back in the starting line-up and is in line for his first appearances since his disastrous 17-minute cameo against Atletico Madrid.

In theory, the Czech is more comfortable with the ball at his feet than Vicario and should be better suited to De Zerbi's brand of football so long as he's playing on a properly watered pitch, but it's pivotal that De Zerbi is able to rebuild his confidence in particular.

Of Tottenham's deep-lying midfielders, they have three options in particular primed for the present and future.

Jack-of-all-trades Archie Gray is one of the few contenders for the club's in-house player of the year award - should it not go to the fans in true Queens Park Rangers 2012-13 style. Where this Tottenham team has shrunk in charisma and character, Gray has seemed emboldened by their dance with death, turning in his best performances when the chips are down.

Tudor found that Gray worked well in a midfield pivot with Pape Matar Sarr, who, with 137 appearances for Spurs, is among the relative seniors of the squad, despite not turning 24 until next season. Through his three full seasons in the first team, Tottenham have always looked far more functional with Sarr in the XI than out of it, owing to his aggression on both sides of the ball and ability to carry it up the pitch into the final third.

The return of Lucas Bergvall from injury is a timely boost. Like Sarr, the young Swede is capable of beating several players off the dribble, though under Frank this was misconstrued as the characteristics for an attacker. De Zerbi will surely utilise Bergvall in a deeper position.

At his first press conference on Friday, De Zerbi also made mention of his admiration of January signing Conor Gallagher, who is yet to win a Premier League game since joining Spurs. "I want to see again the same Gallagher I loved in Chelsea time," the Italian revealed.

De Zerbi should only really turn to Yves Bissouma, whose contract is set to expire, and on-loan Joao Palhinha in a state of further emergency. They are not better than the other options listed, nor are they players for the long-term future of the club.

Bringing in De Zerbi over another short-term manager suggests someone at the club has finally figured out the team's problems are as much to do with the attack as the defence. Frank's Spurs seldom looked threatening, while Tudor's Tottenham only showed signs of life in their 3-2 win against Atletico Madrid and 1-1 draw at Liverpool.

But lifting the shackles of the defence-first mantra will be key to unlocking this team's true potential. Xavi Simons was bafflingly dropped by Tudor after finally showing some signs of promise, while Mathys Tel has finally nailed down a starting spot. De Zerbi named both players as those he was keen on working with closely, with the latter a former target of his at Marseille.

In front of them, Dominic Solanke and Richarlison are proven Premier League strikers both capable of going on scoring bursts over a short period. Kudus' absence means Randal Kolo Muani is likely to be deployed on the right wing, though Tudor did find relative joy in using right-back Pedro Porro and his excellent crossing and passing range there.

It has at last dawned on Tottenham they'll have to fight and scrap their way out as the protagonists of their story, rather than let games drift away from them as bystanders. De Zerbi needs to keep his emotions in check and avoid another of his infamous outbursts for just seven matches before resetting again in the summer. This Spurs side shouldn't be among the three worst in the Premier League and if they play at their true level, they should survive.

Seven matches of not shooting yourselves in the foot, starting with Sunderland away on Sunday. How hard can it be? Take it away, Tottenham.