De Zerbi wants Tottenham creating up to 30 chances as Spurs search for goals
Roberto De Zerbi says Tottenham may need to create as many as 25 to 30 chances in a game to turn their attacking play into goals. Spurs have scored only three…
Follow Tottenham to get their next match and results in My teams.
Roberto De Zerbi says Tottenham may need to create as many as 25 to 30 chances in a game to turn their attacking play into goals. Spurs have scored only three times in six Premier League matches and sit 20th with three points and a goal difference of minus six.
Asked about his role in improving the team’s finishing, De Zerbi told Football.London that if eight or nine chances are not enough, he must help Tottenham create 20. “And if they are not enough, 25 to 30,” he said. “I think we have not other ways.”
The manager said he has “big confidence” in his players and believes goals and wins will follow if the team continues to attack, defend and create chances in the same way. Spurs Web reported that De Zerbi sees poor finishing, rather than a lack of opportunities, as the main problem; several of Tottenham’s forwards are yet to score this season.
The contrast with other teams is sharp. Brighton have scored 23 league goals, while Coventry City have 11 despite sitting only a point clear of the relegation zone. Tottenham host Coventry on Monday, 19 October, giving De Zerbi’s side an immediate chance to improve their return against their next opponents.
De Zerbi has also publicly backed Dominic Solanke. He gave the striker the captain’s armband for the 1-1 draw with Manchester United, in which Solanke scored, and later called him a “complete player” and the perfect striker for his system. The support comes as Tottenham look for more goals from their forwards.
Some pundits have criticised De Zerbi for leaving Richarlison out of Tottenham’s Premier League squad. Spurs Web reported that Richarlison scored 11 league goals and provided four assists in 32 appearances last season, adding another point of debate around the manager’s choices while Tottenham have the division’s lowest goal tally.
The immediate question is whether De Zerbi’s emphasis on creating more chances can bring a better return against Coventry. With Spurs bottom after six games, another low-scoring performance would put his stated solution under sharper scrutiny.
