Roberto De Zerbi told major tactical problem he faces at Tottenham

Roberto De Zerbi faces a huge tactical dilemma if he takes over as Tottenham head coach.

The Italian has an agreement in place to take over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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De Zerbi, who left his role as Marseille boss in February, is keen on an immediate return to the dugout.

However, he knows he has a tall order to turn around Spurs’ fortunes with just seven games remaining to steer them clear of relegation.

The ex-Brighton boss will have plenty to contend with upon his arrival however one factor he must overcome is how to accommodate Xavi Simons and the soon-to-return James Maddison in his starting XI.

Signs of progress

Simons, a £52million signing from RB Leipzig last summer, has largely struggled in his first season in English football.

However, the Dutchman has recently shown signs of improvement and produced arguably his best display in a Tottenham shirt in the 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid earlier this month.

The 22-year-old operates best in a No.10 role but can play in wider areas.

That mirrors the attributes of Maddison who is yet to play a single minute this season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in a pre-season clash against Newcastle in July.

Maddison is expected to make his grand return on the final day of the season however by that time De Zerbi will no doubt have one eye on next season’s squad.

And according to European football expert Andy Brassell, that could spell trouble for either one of Simons or Maddison with only one capable of filling De Zerbi’s golden No.10 berth.

“De Zerbi will want to attack, He’ll want to be on the front foot. What he will need is his full-backs whether he’ll play a three or a four to be adventurous,” Brassell told talkSPORT.

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“He’s got that in Pedro Porro and [Destiny] Udogie. He will need a No.10 and for that reason I anticipate keenly the return of James Maddison.

“I’m really keen to see how ready he is when comes back because if we’re looking into next season, a fully fit Maddison and De Zerbi goes together really well.

“I think that would be a real match.”

Brassell continued: “It was really interesting when De Zerbi persuaded Arteta to bring Ethan Nwaneri to him (at Marseille) on loan for the rest of the season, the main idea was to use him as a No.10.

“Not exclusively, but that’s the guy he’s been looking for all season to open teams up.

“Maddison is the most cut out to play that role in the Tottenham squad. Then again, maybe it’s Xavi Simons? It’s two incredible options.

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“It’s been a difficult season for Simons.

Two’s a crowd

“Long term, whether it’s De Zerbi or anyone else, I don’t think Maddison and Xavi Simons fit in the same team,” Brassell added.

But he was unimpressed with how Igor Tudor used the Dutchman in recent games.

He said: “What we’ve seen of Xavi Simons particularly recently against Atletico, to me it’s mad that, whoever the coach is, Xavi plays the game he did against Atletico and then starts the next game on the bench and he’s asked to pull it out of the fire when they’re losing against Forest.”