Roberto De Zerbi believes Tottenham are creating “something special”, but he has urged his players not to lose sight of the problems they faced earlier in the campaign.
Three straight Premier League victories have taken Spurs from bottom spot to ninth before today’s away match against Leeds.
A win at Elland Road could move Tottenham into the European qualification positions.
Quick facts
- Tottenham have won their past three Premier League matches.
- The run has lifted them from last place to ninth in the standings.
- De Zerbi arrived in March and secured survival only on the final day last season.
- Teenager Luca Williams-Barnett made his league debut in the 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
Despite the recent improvement, De Zerbi has pointed to Spurs’ recent difficulties as he tries to ensure his squad remain focused on the next fixture.
The Italian took charge in March with Tottenham battling relegation. They stayed up only on the final day of the previous season.
“We are performing well and collecting points consecutively, but as I said after the Crystal Palace match, we cannot forget how this season began or what happened last season,” De Zerbi said.
“We have many objectives, but our attention must remain on one game at a time. We are not yet good enough to shift that focus.
“We are creating something special: the dressing-room environment, a defined way of playing, and players who are much better than they were at the start. But this began only three weeks ago.”
Luca Williams-Barnett came on late to make his Premier League bow during last weekend’s 2-0 win against Crystal Palace.
De Zerbi sees the 18-year-old as a player with exceptional potential.
“You can spot special talent immediately. I do not think age matters that much,” he said. “What matters most is quality, personality, conduct on the pitch and ability. Luca possesses all those qualities.”
