Yeah, I sincerely hope the "he's our number 1" stuff is just lip service from De Zerbi.
One thing that's surprised me about him, but makes sense given how good a man-manager he seems to be, is how clever and calculated his messaging in the press has been.
Ange talked a good game and was great for a soundbite of an anecdote but sometimes it felt like self-mythologising and didn't always help us on the pitch. I like how he stood up for the club, but he was sometimes too honest and didn't challenge refs enough. Frank meanwhile didn't know how to play the game at all and kept putting his foot in his mouth - absolutely awful at messaging and dealing with the media.
De Zerbi reminds me a little of Mourinho in that everything he says to the media seems to be quite thought out - he's considering how the players will perceive his words, how other clubs and refs will perceive them, how he needs to reframe the debate and focus on positives, etc. Much better than I was expecting.
