It’s set to be a busy few days for Roberto De Zerbi as he gets to grips with a team fighting for its life in the Premier League.
At the top of his list of priorities: keep Tottenham up. Slightly lower down: plan for the future to ensure they never get near this position again.
How the Italian can achieve either – or both – is undoubtedly complex, but he may soon find that playing his 20-year-old baby-faced assassin could be a good place to start.
Archie Gray’s performances have largely slipped under the radar this season, consumed and obliterated in equal measure by the scores on the board and the position in the table.
But on a chilly night here at Carrow Road for England’s Under-21s, Gray showed why so many Tottenham fans are nervous about relegation for more reasons than one with a display capped with a superb effort that gave the Young Lions the lead.
Gray has been one of the rare bright sparks in a dismal season for Tottenham. A driving force in the centre of midfield, there have been times when he has looked the only person on the pitch capable of arresting Spurs’ slide.
Archie Gray put in a man of the match performance as England U21s beat Moldova 4-1
New Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi can boost his side by putting faith in Gray, 20
This was perhaps most evident in Tottenham’s recent game against Crystal Palace. Tottenham did what Tottenham have done so often this season and imploded. After taking the lead through Dominic Solanke, Micky van de Ven was sent off four minutes later, and a 3-1 defeat followed.
But Gray seemed to be the only player who refused to accept his lot. Running around with a manic sense of urgency – one that looked fated to be fruitless – he continued to show his quality on the ball, despite the unmistakable sense of frustration etched across his young face.
He quickly backed that up with an assured performance against Atletico Madrid in Igor Tudor’s only victory in his blighted Tottenham tenure, earning a standing ovation as he exited the field. Atletico midfielder Marcos Llorente even acknowledged his display, going over to shake his hand.
Yet he has so often looked worn down, emotionally exhausted by the sheer weight of this season’s unexpected downturn.
Now, though, his England Under-21s head coach Lee Carsley has provided him – and his new coach De Zerbi – with something invaluable: a break.
‘First and foremost, it was important that we gave Archie a rest,’ Carsley said after England’s 4-1 win over Moldova in their Under-21 European qualifier on Tuesday. ‘It’s very difficult to play week in, week out in the Premier League, especially under the pressure that he is under.
‘We shut Archie down for maybe three or four days, not doing very much, just to give his head a rest and his body a rest.’
If Moldova was a first audition for his new boss, it’s fair to say that Tottenham’s £40million signing will be getting the call-back.
Lee Carsley gave Gray a much-needed rest before letting him strut his stuff on Tuesday night
All night, Gray scanned for space, his head moving at twice the speed of every other player on the pitch. At times, he chose to raise the tempo, driving England forward simply because he had had enough of watching the ball being passed from side to side.
Defensively, he was just as impressive. On one occasion, he lost the ball, only to recover quickly, read the next pass and nick the interception. Later on, a rare Moldovan attack was halted by Gray getting a toe in to disrupt the momentum.
The former Leeds player capped the night with a superb goal, smashing the ball into the roof of the net from 15 yards out.
‘Archie is a good example to the rest of the team,’ Carsley said. ‘He’s got the ability to dictate the tempo of the game with his energy and his quality, and it’s nice seeing him get that goal because he’s been practising a lot this week – his finishing around the edge of the box, scruffy finishes, and the ball bouncing out to him – and it was a nice technique.’
At just 20, Gray is still slight, without a shade of arrogance on or off the pitch. Insiders say that Thomas Tuchel believes he is still too slight for the senior squad, along with the depth of talent ahead of him in midfield.
But as Carsley attests, Gray’s ability to play ‘four or five’ positions will only stand him in good stead.
‘He’s got time on his side, there’s no rush with him,’ the 52-year-old added. ‘He’s doing really well at Spurs. If he keeps playing week in, week out in the Premier League, then he’s got a great chance of progressing through.’
And for De Zerbi, there is at least a place to begin.
