How De Zerbi Would Use Spurs' Next Number 9 | A Coach's View

Kroupi at 19 is already doing things in the Premier League that most players never get to. What would he look like in Roberto De Zerbi's Spurs — and why does A Licence Coach JJ think there's Jermaine Defoe in his finishing?

JJ takes the tactics board through the full De Zerbi setup: the 4-2-3-1 base, why he calls his wide players fullbacks (not wing backs), how Udogi and Porro will be asked to do different jobs, and how Tonali and Fernandes' new midfield partnership sets the pattern.

Then the mechanics: the bounce pass explained (the Conte automation echo, and the Richarlison–Gallagher example from the end of last season). The three ways you win a moment on the pitch — numerical overload, positional, quality. And why you set your striker up for success by fixing the wings first.

Finally, Kroupi himself. The Defoe comparison. The side-foot finishing that separates him. The between-the-lines drop that Solanke doesn't currently give us. Why defenders don't fear Solanke in zone 14 — and why Krupi would change that.

A considered, nuanced walk through what Spurs' next number 9 could look like — with the tactics board doing the heavy lifting. The Coach's View.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome and the tactics board
00:30 The 4-2-3-1 De Zerbi base setup
01:38 Fullbacks or wing backs — and why the label matters
04:31 What this asks of Tonali and Fernandes
05:28 The bounce pass, explained
07:54 The Conte automation echo
08:49 Set up the striker first — start with the wingers
10:22 Raising the level of the individuals in the system
12:53 The three ways to win a moment on the pitch
14:22 Enter Rodrigo Krupi — a different profile entirely
17:00 The Jermaine Defoe comparison
18:36 The England / Kane / Bellingham parallel
19:36 Why defenders don't fear Solanke in zone 14
21:30 The side-foot finish that separates Krupi
22:40 Do you swap Solanke back to Bournemouth?
23:21 Coming next — a coaching fundamentals series

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