I watched new Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi take a training session and made up my mind on him

A former Tottenham star has delivered a strong verdict on the club's new manager, Roberto De Zerbi

New Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi has received a stirring vote of confidence from Danny Murphy. On Tuesday, Spurs announced De Zerbi's appointment with the Italian signing a five-year deal to replace Igor Tudor, who left by mutual consent two days earlier.

De Zerbi earned widespread praise during his two-year stint at Brighton, where his side became known for some of the most intricate and entertaining football in the Premier League. But while the 46-year-old's progressive style won plenty of admirers, many now question whether his philosophy is suited to a relegation battle.

Spurs are just a point above the drop zone with seven games left, leaving little room to adapt to a new style of play. Despite that, Murphy believes De Zerbi will be pragmatic in the short term, prioritising survival over style before fully implementing his ideas next season.

"I'd be amazed if I see Spurs go to Sunderland in his first game and start trying to play through the Sunderland press in front of their crowd. No, he's not daft," the former Tottenham midfielder said on talkSPORT.

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"He's got to get them to the summer and keep them in the Prem. And then what you'll see is a progression of Tottenham's football and a definitive way of playing."

Murphy also revealed that he'd observed a number of Brighton's training sessions when De Zerbi was in charge - and came away hugely impressed. "The sessions were quality," he said.

"He was doing a session where they were working through the lines and the intensity he had and what he was demanding, the football was good and I liked what I said. And speaking to him, he had a presence, he had a bit about him. You know when you're with someone and they've got a bit of an aura, some grit, some believe in himself, some gravitas.

"I remember watching his Brighton teams and thinking, 'They know what they're doing, you can see that they've been coached and they've got a method.'

"Now, I'm not sure that method is going to be the way to go in these next six, seven games. I'd be loathe to do that... he hasn't got the time, it's dangerous."

With Tottenham out of the FA Cup, De Zerbi has more than a week to work with his new squad ahead of his first game at the Stadium of Light. Spurs then host his former club, Brighton, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium six days later.

In a video message to fans, De Zerbi said: "It's a very big honour and I'm very proud to be your coach. I want to give my best and I want to stay for a long time in this big club."

Tottenham's interest in De Zerbi's dates back to 2023. They reached out to him in February following Thomas Frank's dismissal, which occurred on the same day De Zerbi left Marseille by mutual consent.

It's understood De Zerbi was initially reluctant to take over mid-season, instead favouring a summer move, which prompted Spurs to turn to Tudor. However, after further discussions in March, he was persuaded to take the role immediately.

"In all my discussions with the club's leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters. I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it," De Zerbi said in a statement.

"Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season. I'm looking forward to getting out on the training pitch and working with these players to achieve that."

Sporting Director, Johan Lange, said: "Roberto was our number one target for the summer and we are very pleased to be able to bring him in now.

"He is one of the most creative and forward-thinking coaches in world football, and brings with him a wealth of experience at the highest level, including in the Premier League."