The two things Roberto De Zerbi must do to avoid tough Tottenham questions

When Roberto De Zerbi first arrived in England, he took the Premier League by storm with his unflinching personality and uncompromising style of play.His Brighton team was intoxicating. They drew opponents in, then sprang into attack, often scoring in the blink of an eye as they streamed up the pitch before releasing a torrent of pace in behind.De Zerbi’s success on the south coast was short but sweet, helping the Seagulls qualify for the Europa League before disagreements over the club’s direction in the transfer market saw him leave for Marseille, a club whose volatility even De Zerbi could not stand up to.Given the relatively small sample size - he was only at the Amex Stadium for just under two seasons - the Italian left England as something of an enigma. His brand of football was exciting, but had he caught the league unawares?Much of De Zerbi’s success rested on unpredictability, as managers tried and failed to decipher his coordinated pressing triggers. But debate raged about the long-term viability of a style that Premier League teams were increasingly leaving behind as they opted for more physicality and less possession.Struggling: TottenhamGettyThese stylistic conversations mattered little in the cut-and-thrust of a relegation battle, as De Zerbi steered Tottenham to Premier League safety on the final day of last season.But now, four games into what was supposed to be a bright new era, and without a goal or a win to show for a summer spend in excess of £300million, the question is whether De Zerbi is yesterday’s man.Spurs have been determined to leave last season in the past, but supporters are not so quick to forget, and with little tangible on-pitch progress to cling to, their thinly veiled optimism is quickly fading.The north Londoners have been marginally better than their results suggest and have shown signs of improvement since their opening weekend capitulation at Brentford. But the Premier League is relentless, and patience is running increasingly thin.Read MoreDe Zerbi has maintained that he needs time to build after a disrupted pre-season left his side physically unprepared. But for as long as Spurs go without a goal to their name, they will remain in the spotlight.Everton had chances to earn a rare win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the weekend. Spurs, however, generally looked more resolute at the back, with Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke now more comfortable as a centre-back pairing.Slow start: Sandro TonaliGettySpurs also looked decidedly more connected and confident in the middle of the park, with Rodrigo Bentancur providing solidity at the base of midfield, while Sandro Tonali offered a few nice flourishes in possession.Small improvements are, however, scant consolation at the minute. De Zerbi needs a win to ease the pressure and kickstart his stuttering first full season in charge.Spurs have two games, away to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup and at home to fellow strugglers Aston Villa in the league on Saturday, before a three-week international break.As much as he may want to cut the outside noise. De Zerbi simply can’t afford to go into such a notoriously stir-crazy interlude without a goal or a win to his name.