Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has appeared to criticise former head coach Thomas Frank’s style of play, while praising the approach of new manager Roberto De Zerbi.
Van de Ven on De Zerbi's philosophy
Speaking during Tottenham’s pre-season tour in Australia and New Zealand, Van de Ven said: "It's going to be different compared to the manager we had last season. It's going to be more with the ball, I think, more about playing football. I think it's also going to be more enjoyable for people to watch because we'll be playing offensive football."
He added: "You can see he [De Zerbi] has brought a lot of passion into our group, a lot in terms of mentality and passion on the pitch. It is something we needed because everybody was a little bit down. He brings a lot of good energy and, from pre-season, we have really had the time to bring his football into the team. That's really enjoyable."
Frank's tenure and dismissal
Thomas Frank was sacked by Tottenham after eight months in charge, having won only two of his 17 Premier League matches. His pragmatic, counter-attacking style was often adapted to the opposition. He was replaced by Igor Tudor, who was quickly dismissed before De Zerbi took over and steered the club to safety.
De Zerbi's reputation and pre-season
De Zerbi is known for an aggressive, man-to-man approach developed at Shakhtar Donetsk and Brighton & Hove Albion. Tottenham began their pre-season tour with a 2-0 win over Auckland FC and face Sydney FC next, followed by matches against Chelsea, Getafe and Hoffenheim.
