Roberto De Zerbi explains why Sandro Tonali is 'perfect' for Tottenham

Read MoreThe Italian was calm and comfortable despite Spurs’ desperation for a goal against Everton. He surveyed his options superbly before picking a couple of sublime passes with the same effortless flourish he built his reputation on at AC Milan and Newcastle.It has not been easy for Tonali since moving to Spurs this summer, but he has begun to find his feet after a chastening competitive debut at Brentford had many critics pointing to his price tag.De Zerbi spoke to Tonali about his price tag earlier in the season, but says he is not concerned that his fellow countryman is wilting under the weight of expectation as Spurs’ wait for a win and a goal in the Premier League continues.“He doesn’t feel the pressure about that. I spoke to him [about it], yes. But it was 15 or 20 days ago, not now,” De Zerbi said.“We are lucky to have Sandro with us. The adaptation has been not so fast but it can happen, also in Milan in the first season, ok he was younger, but it is not so easy to change city, to change everything for the players.“Sometimes the adaptation is immediate, sometimes you need more time. I think also Tonali with Everton played well.”Sandro TonaliGettyDe Zerbi has been clear in the first few weeks of the season that his team are physically behind after a disrupted pre-season.He admits Spurs are “fighting to regain the gap” on their rivals, with Tonali one of several first-team players to have seen their minutes managed due to the risk of injury.Despite this, De Zerbi believes his players are slowly becoming “lighter” in their decision-making as they build their physical condition and begin to form more solid bonds with their new team-mates.Spurs bought 10 new players this summer for combined fees in excess of £300m but have struggled to name a settled starting lineup.He continued: “I see the players being much more light. Not too much, but the light enough to be clear, to be calm when you have the chance to score, when you have to take the decision calm and the confidence to take the best decision you can. I think it’s important now.”De Zerbi wants his side to play with more personality, and he sees Tonali as the perfect player to help Spurs take more risks in and out of possession.Versatile, physical and with a technical level matched by few others in the squad, De Zerbi says Tonali can operate as a six and a 10 for Spurs as they search for balance in the middle of the park.“He can play in both situations because his physical characteristics are to play box to box but he started his career as a playmaker,” De Zerbi continued.“He is good enough with the ball, he is good enough without the ball. He is a complete midfielder, like Bergvall, like Mateus Fernandes. They are very close, not as characteristics, but these three players all have characteristics of the modern midfielder.”