Roberto De Zerbi has revived a familiar off-field tactic in an attempt to lift Tottenham Hotspur out of their early-season slump, taking his squad back to the same Mayfair restaurant that helped spark a revival last term.
The Italian coach organised a team dinner last week at Bacchanalia, the upscale Mediterranean eatery he first visited with his players late in the previous campaign, when Spurs were fighting to preserve their Premier League status. That outing was widely credited with boosting morale during a stretch that ultimately ended in the club securing survival on the final day of the season.
With Tottenham now enduring a difficult start to the new campaign—winless and scoreless through their opening four league matches—De Zerbi has evidently decided the same remedy is worth trying again, this time with a squad he has significantly reshaped over the summer.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Monday, De Zerbi confirmed the get-together had taken place. "We went last week for dinner with all the players," he said. "There was something to eat, some water, some beers, yes. It's a pleasure going for dinner with my players." The manager added that he was happy to foot the bill himself, joking that he would only ask to keep enough money back "for the cigarette."
The gesture comes on the back of a frustrating weekend for Tottenham, who were held to a goalless draw at home by Everton despite starting the match with intent. De Zerbi has since urged his players to show more composure and patience in the final third, suggesting that rushed decision-making has undermined promising periods of play.
The former Brighton boss has previously conceded that his squad appears to be grappling with a psychological barrier in front of goal, but he was keen to stress his continued faith in the group rather than pointing fingers. He also called on the players to take ownership of the team's struggles.
"Maybe I'm not objective with my players, but my opinion about my players is maybe different to your opinion. I think they are very good players," De Zerbi said. "We are building a new project, a new team. Taking responsibility if we didn't score and win, but I can't change my opinion about the players if they don't win or don't score."
He went further, framing the current difficulties as a test of mentality rather than talent, and pushing back against the idea that wholesale changes were the answer. "If we want to change from the last two or three seasons we have to be stronger here (points to his head) and believe in the quality of the players and the decisions we made one month ago," he explained. "Or we change. You can change players or change coaches, change, change, change, change, and nothing changes. Or you stay with the head, stay humble, with the right spirit to work. I believe in my players. I hope they believe in themselves like I believe in them."
De Zerbi's comments suggest a manager banking on unity and belief rather than tactical overhaul to turn around Tottenham's fortunes. Having already assembled a costly new-look squad in the transfer market, the Italian appears determined to give his rebuilding project time to bed in, hoping that a shared meal away from the pitch can once again translate into results on it.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.