Roberto De Zerbi has given Tottenham fresh impetus in the fight against relegation with back-to-back victories in the Premier League.
After a 1-0 win over Wolves left critics unconvinced, the 2-1 victory over Aston Villa has certainly offered renewed optimism that relegation can be avoided.
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De Zerbi has come in and immediately started to improve the performance levels in North London, and supporters can start to take heart again after Spurs moved out of the relegation zone at the weekend.
Following the latest win for Tottenham, Carlton Cole has picked up on one genius move that De Zerbi has already accomplished with the club.
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Carlton Cole hails genius Micky van de Ven decision
Van de Ven has been tasked with captaining the team under De Zerbi and Cole thinks that has proved a very good decision.
With injuries stacking up in the Tottenham squad, De Zerbi has been left with no choice, really, but it’s a role that the Dutchman seems to have relished.
He said: “I think it was a stroke of genius giving Van de Ven the captaincy, because he looked like he was never happy.
“Now, and we know he’s a good player, now he’s the captain of Spurs, if he’s the captain that keeps us up, that’s a massive thing. They’re all at it at the moment.”
What happens with Van de Ven in the future will be the next issue for Tottenham to solve.
The player has been linked with a move away from the club, and De Zerbi will have a job on his hands to convince him to remain at the club.
Van de Ven will head to the World Cup this summer with his sights set on helping Holland win the competition.
If he does get the juices flowing with a huge win on the international stage, it will only enhance his desire to win more trophies at club level.
The decision will be whether or not he feels De Zerbi can convince him that such a notion is viable with Tottenham.
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