Tottenham's New Era Under Roberto de Zerbi

Tottenham’s revolving door in the dugout spun three times last season. Thomas Frank, the man tasked with steadying the club, didn’t even make it to the eight‑month mark before the axe fell, his tenure defined by distance from the stands and a style that never truly felt like Spurs.

The accusation was simple and damning for a club that built its identity on flair: too cautious, too safe, too reluctant to risk. A “safety-first” approach might calm a crisis, but in north London it rarely wins hearts.

Now, there’s a different noise around the training ground.

Micky van de Ven can feel it. More importantly, he can see it on the pitch.

Roberto de Zerbi has arrived with a clear promise: Tottenham will play football again the way their supporters demand it — on the front foot, with the ball, with intent.

"It's going to be different compared to the manager we had last season," Van de Ven said, drawing a sharp line under the recent past. This isn’t a tweak. It’s a reset.

"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 the message players rarely voice unless they feel it. Van de Ven is not just talking about patterns and pressing triggers; he is talking about mood, about a team that had sagged under the weight of its own caution.

Last season left scars. Three managers, shifting ideas, an anxious fanbase, and a squad that, in his words, had sunk.

"It is something we needed because everybody was a little bit down," he admitted.

De Zerbi has gone to work on that as much as on shape and structure. The Italian’s reputation precedes him: intense, demanding, obsessed with the ball and how his team uses it. At Spurs, that intensity has turned into something else — energy.

"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. Those are not empty buzzwords when paired with a full pre-season and a raft of new signings tailored to his ideas.

This time, there are no excuses about arriving late or inheriting a tired squad. De Zerbi has had weeks, not days, to drill his principles into the group. Sessions built around possession. Rehearsed movements from the back. Attacking rotations designed to pull teams apart rather than simply contain them.

"He brings a lot of good energy and, from pre-season, we have really had the time to bring his football into the team. That's really enjoyable."

Enjoyable. It’s a small word, but at Tottenham it carries weight. Enjoyment is what the fans demand and what the players had lost.

The message from the dressing room is clear: the fear has gone. The ball is back at their feet. Now the question is whether De Zerbi’s bold, offensive football can turn that renewed joy into something more tangible when the real games begin.