What's Actually Working in Spurs' Pre-Season? | A Coach's View

Is De Zerbi's vertical play finally clicking at Spurs? And which players have actually adapted to his system — and which are still catching up?
A Licence Coach JJ and Jim break down the Getafe friendly and what it tells us about pre-season. The vertical play is back — Spurs playing down the middle again after last season's categorical refusal. Kinsky is clipping balls over the press exactly as predicted last episode. And the equaliser gets the full coaching breakdown: Tonali dropping into the six pocket, the ball fired through the lines to Richarlison, and Gallagher arriving in the ten space to finish.

JJ lands a clear verdict on the Tonali-isn't-Pirlo debate, explains why Van Hecke's aerial dominance was the quiet surprise of the game, and walks through the touchline moment where De Zerbi coached Archie Gray into the half space — and Spurs immediately punched through down the right.

The honest bit: creativity in the final third still leaves a lot to be desired, and JJ explains why that's part system, part personnel.
A considered, nuanced read of Spurs' pre-season — not the angry-pundit lane. The Coach's View.

Chapters
00:00 What's working in De Zerbi's pre-season?
00:30 Vertical play returns — Spurs go down the middle
02:38 Kinsky playing over the press
04:03 The goal, broken down: Tonali to Gallagher
07:45 Tonali isn't Pirlo — so what is he?
10:16 Van Hecke's aerial surprise
11:40 Halfway verdict: three big ticks
12:27 Archie Gray and the De Zerbi touchline moment
15:02 Defensive distances: no more open motorways
16:49 The big area of improvement: final-third creativity
19:36 What to watch in the next friendly

Follow JJ (The Fullco) for more coaching content — channel linked above.

What did you spot in the Getafe game that we missed? Tell us in the comments.

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