Tottenham CEO Vinai Venkatesham has backed Roberto De Zerbi despite the club’s poor start leaving them bottom of the Premier League with two points from their opening five matches.
De Zerbi is still waiting for his first league victory, but Venkatesham has expressed confidence in the Italian manager, Tottenham’s reshaped squad and the changes made at the club during the summer.
Vinai Venkatesham backs Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham
Speaking at a Fan Advisory Board meeting at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last week, Venkatesham said he remained confident De Zerbi could improve the team’s fortunes.
The CEO pointed to signs of progress since Tottenham’s 3-0 defeat by Brentford on the opening weekend, while acknowledging that the club’s substantial changes on and off the pitch would take time to have their full effect.
“Vinai Venkatesham expressed confidence in Roberto De Zerbi, in the players brought in and in the changes made, noting the considerable work underway behind the scenes,” the published meeting minutes stated.
They added: “The club had made significant changes over the summer, both on and off the pitch, and recognised that these might take time to take full effect.”
Venkatesham was also said to be encouraged by aspects of Tottenham’s performances since the Brentford defeat, although he recognised the disappointment surrounding their points total and the frustration among supporters after the previous campaign.
The minutes said home and away support had been excellent, but stressed that the club needed to earn supporters’ belief through results.
De Zerbi faces pressure for results
Despite the public backing, pressure on De Zerbi remains high after Tottenham invested heavily in reshaping their squad during the summer transfer window.
The manager will have to turn encouraging performances into points quickly, with demanding fixtures ahead after the international break, beginning with a trip to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
