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The Italian is expected to take to the training pitches of Hotspur Way on Friday and he has a huge job on his hands at the north London club
Roberto De Zerbi will soon find out exactly why he is Tottenham's fourth different head coach in nine months as he gets to work on saving their Premier League status.
The 46-year-old was handed a big five-year deal to add Spurs to his managerial CV and while talk was about the long term, it is the seven games ahead that will decide what that long term looks like. For amid all the headlines surrounding De Zerbi's arrival it must not be forgotten that the north London club are currently 17th in the Premier League table and could be in the drop zone by the time they next play if West Ham beat Wolves at home two days beforehand.
De Zerbi is expected to get to work with the squad on the Hotspur Way pitches on Friday once his work permit has come through and the Italian will have eight days to get his methods across to the Tottenham players before their next game at Sunderland on April 12.
Here are five things that the new head coach must immediately fix or solve:
Confidence
This might be the most important thing of all because Spurs' confidence is on the floor and has been for a long time. They have not won a Premier League game in 2026.
Regardless of how highly or lowly you rate this group of Tottenham players, they are not bottom three standard, especially while playing just once a week and fresh to compete.
It needs someone to get them fighting for a singular purpose and a vision, something Spurs have not had since Ange Postecoglou galvanised them to win the Europa League. Thomas Frank gave them no real identity to believe in while Igor Tudor's interim status never gave him the authority to change things.
De Zerbi, at least in his first year at a club, can capture the imagination of players and he has a very clear idea that he wants everyone to buy into. That can provide the foundations of something for the players to believe in again and he will get their confidence up.
Romero and Van de Ven
It used to be that when you got Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven together on the pitch then Spurs would invariably win or at least look better. This season neither of their star centre-backs has looked themselves. Both have contributed at the attacking end of the pitch but defensively they've been very inconsistent, by their own admission.
"Well, the truth is, I’m not exactly having the best time there, and that’s all. I need to get myself together, focus on the club now, get my head around Tottenham," Romero told Argentinian media on international duty this week. "This is tomorrow, trying to get out of this bad situation we’re in, and as always, give my all in every training session and every match, and let’s try to pull through."
Despite his days further up the pitch as a number 10 himself, De Zerbi has won over plenty of centre-backs as a coach, helping Lewis Dunk to get an England recall. He can speak to Romero in Italian and with both defenders comfortable on the ball, they should enjoy his style far more than what they have been asked to do this season previously.
The new man did use a back three at times at Marseille, and less frequently at Brighton, which could give Kevin Danso some hope, although that shape has not particularly worked for Spurs this season.
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Xavi and the attack
Xavi Simons is the only playmaker and creative player that Tottenham have fit, yet he found himself marginalised under both Frank and especially Tudor.
That De Zerbi mostly utilises a 4-2-3-1 should get the Dutchman into the team more often than not and nobody has created more chances for Spurs this season than Xavi.
If they are to stay in the Premier League then the north London side must score goals and giving Xavi an important role at the tip of the midfield rather than wasted out wide or on the bench could be key to getting the ball in the net.
Mohammed Kudus being on the way back is huge for De Zerbi as well. The Italian almost had the Ghana international at Brighton only for West Ham to swoop in and now he gets his chance to manage the tricky, powerful attacker.
Just when Spurs need them they could have a number of attacking outlets available with Mathys Tel, Dominic Solanke, Richarlison, Randal Kolo Muani and hopefully before the end of the campaign, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison.
Decide how to use Gallagher and the youngsters
Conor Gallagher's move to Spurs has been a nightmare so far, with the 26-year-old yet to win a Premier League game since returning to England.
The 26-year-old has struggled to find the pace of game, contribute at either end of the pitch and has looked limited technically. He has not been helped by being shoved out on the right wing mostly and De Zerbi must decide what is to be done with the club's £35million winter signing.
Rodrigo Bentancur is on the way back from injury and there is the experienced Joao Palhinha, but De Zerbi should be wary of displacing Archie Gray as the 20-year-old has been Tottenham's best player in many of their recent games and starred again for England U21s, complete with a fine goal, in midweek.
The former Leeds midfielder is a fighter and has the technical and tactical ability to take on the Italian's heavy demands. There is also Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr in a busy position in the squad and Yves Bissouma to come back at some point from his muscle injury.
De Zerbi must quickly find the best blend for his Tottenham midfield and the coming week of training will tell him plenty about who can handle what he's asking of them.
The Kinsky question
It remains to be seen whether Guglielmo Vicario's hernia surgery was so perfectly timed that he can return for the trip to Sunderland but either way De Zerbi faces an Antonin Kinsky question.
The young Czech goalkeeper had an awful night in Madrid as he was taken off 17 minutes in by Tudor after one slip and one gaffe as Atletico raced into a 3-0 league in that big Champions League game.
De Zerbi may have to call upon Kinsky though at Sunderland, which would require him and his staff to build up the 23-year-old again mentally for another big clash.
There is also the logic that perhaps the Czech stopper will actually be better suited to the Italian's style of possession football than De Zerbi's compatriot Vicario because it requires the goalkeeper to be good with the ball at their feet and able to seek out quick passes before the press closes in.
The goalkeeper question is going to be a big one for De Zerbi and it could be that he takes to Vicario's character for these remaining seven matches. It will also be the first time we will have seen the number one playing freely without pain for months which should make a difference.
The decision will be down to the new man in the dugout as he seeks to fix a broken Tottenham.
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