Roberto De Zerbi brutally reveals how many Tottenham players are 'good enough to stay' after season of 'suffering too much'
Tottenham managed to avoid the humiliation of relegation to the Championship by the skin of their teeth, securing a 1-0 victory over Everton on the final day to finish two points clear of 18th place West Ham. A goal from Joao Palhinha just before the interval was enough to seal three vital points and ensure Spurs' ever-present Premier League status remained intact, much to the relief of the home support.De Zerbi is in no mood for long-term celebrations. Instead, the former Brighton boss has turned his attention to a ruthless rebuilding project, suggesting that the vast majority of the current squad is not fit for purpose if the club wants to avoid another season of misery.Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the Everton win, De Zerbi was brutally honest about the lack of quality within his ranks. He made it clear that the current group is nowhere near the standard expected for a club of Tottenham’s stature and hinted that more than half of the dressing room could be shown the exit door this summer.“From tonight, we have to start to organise and to build a new team,” De Zerbi told reporters. “I think we have now to change too many players. We have 10, 11, 12 players good enough to stay. Good enough. Like players. Especially like people. And then we have to complete the squad with the first level of players.”The Italian is determined to ensure that the club never finds itself in a similar predicament again. Having spent the latter half of the season fighting a desperate battle at the bottom of the table, De Zerbi is calling on the board and the recruitment department to deliver "first level" signings that can transform the team back into a competitive force.“First level of players because we suffered too much,” the manager continued. “I suffered a lot but I think the fans, the club, the board, the players, they suffered too much. We are Tottenham and we can't suffer like this until the last second of the last game to stay up. And I will be stronger. I will be stronger.”While De Zerbi is leading the charge for change, he acknowledged that he cannot overhaul the football club in isolation. He highlighted the need for synchronisation between himself and the Spurs hierarchy to ensure the upcoming transfer window is a success and the "dream" squad is assembled before pre-season begins.“I don't want to decide alone because football is a group - sporting director, scouting, CEO - but my target now is finished to stay up,” De Zerbi explained. “My target is to start the pre-season with the team I have in my dream.”
