Steph Houghton
Former England captain on Monday Night Club

Results show Spurs are in a mess.

They should have brought De Zerbi in back in February and given him the time. He's going to be asking the players to do things they are not used to. They probably don't know if they're coming and going after going from [Ange] Postecoglou, to [Thomas] Frank, to [Igor] Tudor and now to something completely new again.

They have seven games to stay up and they are the team not in form.

Ashley Williams
Former Wales defender on Monday Night Club

He's the type of manager who is very meticulous, very detailed.

He builds for the future but he's got so little time. I'm not sure how these next seven games will go.

Tottenham Hotspur

Having been knocked out of the Champions League, Spurs only have seven Premier League games left to play - and they're all important.

Sitting just one point above the relegation zone, the new manager faces a giant battle to keep his new club away from dropping into the bottom three.

Let's take a look at those remaining fixtures...

• Sunderland (A)
• Brighton (H)
• Wolves (A)
• Aston Villa (A)
• Leeds (H)
• Chelsea (A)
• Everton (H)

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist

It is well documented that De Zerbi's footballing DNA traces back to the Pep Guardiola tradition, but to leave it there would be restrictive. He has taken the principles - positional play, pressing triggers, control through the ball - and built his own beliefs around them

There are a number of reasons why this appointment could work.

First, De Zerbi doesn't care what people think. He has a clear, unshakeable idea of how he wants to play football and at a club as chaotic as Tottenham right now, that kind of certainty is invaluable.

He has also never managed a club with no expectations and has always delivered under pressure. He knows what it means to have concrete targets and he knows how to meet them.

He brings the added benefit of knowing the Premier League and the timing of the likely appointment gives him scope for preparation. Spurs don't play again until 12 April and that gives him precious time to assess his squad.

Image source, Getty Images

Just joining?

We're reporting on the news that Roberto de Zerbi has been appointed as the new Tottenham manager.

Here are some of the key bits of information from our football correspondent Sami Mokbel.

• De Zerbi sign a new five-year contract with the club
• The Italian does not have a relegation clause in his contract
• De Zerbi has been the overwhelming first-choice

Brad Friedel
Ex-Tottenham goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

I don't think there's any possible way they would be in this situation if [former executive chairman] Daniel Levy was still holding on the purse strings.

I was at the club, I negotiated my contracts with Daniel and I know how he operates.

I think the criticism of Daniel was maybe he wouldn't take the risks associated to getting to first or second in the Premier League - but that's tough, it's really difficult to break into the wage structures of Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City.

He had one foot in the door in that; the revenue brought in, the stadium, the training facility. Looking back, maybe he should have kept Mauricio [Pochettino, in 2019] because they had a really good relationship working together.

It's really hard to run a football club and get every single decision right. My point is they wouldn't be a point above relegation right now [if Levy was still at the club].

If they were mid-table, Daniel Levy would be getting screamed at and the fans would be livid, don't get me wrong. But they would not be fighting off relegation.

Opposition is growing among official Tottenham fans' groups to Roberto de Zerbi being named manager because of his controversial support of Mason Greenwood.

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust held an emergency board meeting on Monday night and has now contacted the club to say it cannot support the appointment.

The group told BBC Sport that it had received "a lot of emails from supporters" lodging complaints.

Alli Speechly, the co-founder of Women of the Lane, said her group also opposed the appointment and she will stop attending matches over the issue.

De Zerbi has said Greenwood "paid in a strong way" after leaving Manchester United for Marseille after charges against him, including attempted rape and assault, were dropped.

Read more here

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur 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.”

At the top of the page, you'll see a poll asking Is De Zerbi a good appointment for Tottenham?

As things stand, it's a close-run thing!

But what about flipping it. On the one hand, this is one of the most difficult jobs to take but the job security at a financially strong club is surely appealing. So - is De Zerbi making the right choice?

Tottenham Hotspur

Following his appointment, Roberto de Zerbi told the Tottenham Hotspur club website: “I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world.

“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.

“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.”

Roberto de Zerbi's appointment on a five-year deal is subject to a work permit and, as we revealed earlier, he does not have a relegation release clause.

He becomes Spurs' third boss of the season.

Tottenham have confirmed the appointment of Roberto de Zerbi as their new head coach on a long-term contract.

Tottenham need Roberto de Zerbi to make an instant impact, with the club one place and one point above the Premier League relegation zone and just seven games of the season remaining.

Yet his record at previous clubs suggests De Zerbi has initially struggled to turn teams around.

The Italian has taken over mid-season at three different clubs and his record in the first seven games has not been great.

De Zerbi managed just one win at Palermo in 2016 before eventually getting the sack, and no wins at Benevento the following season as they were relegated from Serie A.

Then, in 2022, he struggled early in his tenure at Brighton as the Seagulls claimed just eight points from his first seven games, but went on to qualify for Europe.

Image source, Getty Images

De Zerbi's record in his first seven games at clubs where he has taken over mid-season:

Palermo, 2016

• One win
• Two draws
• Four defeats
• Five points

Benevento, 2017

• No wins
• One draw
• Six defeats
• One point

Brighton, 2022

• Two wins
• Two draws
• Three defeats
• Eight points