Tottenham Hotspur have arranged a team-bonding trip to Marbella during a nine-day gap between their draw against Manchester United and next week’s home clash against Coventry City. After a frustrating start to the Premier League season, Roberto De Zerbi will hope the time away from home helps his squad address some of the problems that have held them back so far. Here are five things the Italian will be looking to work on in Spain.Credit: @thefrederikkejensen / Instagram1. Improving Tottenham’s fitness levels in warmer weatherOne of Tottenham’s biggest concerns this season has been their fitness. During the opening week of the Premier League campaign, Roberto De Zerbi admitted that his side were not ready for the demands of the competition after a long summer break. And progress has been slow over the following weeks. In fact, not a single Spurs player currently features anywhere near the top 15 in the Premier League charts for distance covered or number of sprints.There was some encouragement after the international break, however, as Tottenham outperformed Manchester United across every physical performance metric, suggesting that their fitness levels are beginning to improve. That said, United have hardly set the standard for physical intensity themselves this season, so there is still plenty of work to do.One recurring pattern in Tottenham’s recent matches has been their ability to start at an electrifying pace before struggling to sustain that intensity beyond the first 20 or 30 minutes. Training in the relatively warmer conditions of Marbella could help the players improve their aerobic capacity and overall physical efficiency as De Zerbi will want to see his side maintain their intensity for the full 90 minutes rather than allowing promising starts to go to waste.2. Finally turning Tottenham into a proper ‘team’How does Roberto De Zerbi define a ‘football team’? In his own words: “To be a team is to play for the team-mates, suffer together, attack together, defend together, the players who come inside five minutes, three minutes, they have to play like they are in the first XI, without problems, without other thoughts.”Immediately after Tottenham’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford on the opening weekend, De Zerbi admitted that his new-look side, with almost half the team replaced over the summer, were ‘not a team yet’. Six games and almost two months later, he has not changed his assessment. Following the draw against United on Saturday, the Italian repeated himself, saying: “We are a great group of the players, but we are not a team yet”.De Zerbi believes the Marbella trip can help bridge that gap. The players will have more time to get to know one another away from the pressures of competitive football, hopefully improving their understanding when they return to the pitch. There have been plenty of m67oments this season when Spurs players have visibly demanded something different from a team-mate, whether that means releasing a pass earlier or making a better run. It is never a good look to see players airing their frustrations with each other in front of everyone.Explaining what his squad will do in Spain beyond their training sessions, the head coach explained: “To stay together, yes. To work together, to stay together, to go for dinner together, to know better each other, because to be a team you have to know the team-mates, and to stay together.”3. Finding a solution to Tottenham’s goalscoring problemsWithout a doubt, this is Tottenham’s biggest problem so far this season. In all but two of their matches, Spurs have managed to create more chances than their opponents, yet they remain without a Premier League win because they have repeatedly failed to turn those opportunities into goals.The draw against United provided another example. Dominic Solanke and Conor Gallagher were among those who failed to make the most of their chances, with the former even later admitting that he ‘could have probably had 3 goals’ by the end of the game.It is not simply a question of creating more chances, either. The quality of opportunities Spurs have fashioned has often been good enough to put matches away. Their inability to finish those moves has allowed opponents to take the lead against the run of play, leaving De Zerbi’s side chasing games they should have been in a position to control.The Italian will therefore need to use the time in Marbella to sharpen his players in the final third. Better decision-making and composure in front of goal could make a significant difference to Tottenham’s results.Credit: @harryphoto.kr / Instagram4. Getting James Maddison and Mateus Fernandes ready to start gamesJames Maddison missed out on a long-awaited return to the starting XI at Old Trafford after De Zerbi revealed that the midfielder had missed several days of training during the previous week. The Tottenham head coach has made it clear that he will not rush the England international back before he is ready.Explaining what Maddison needs before he can start regularly again, De Zerbi said: ‘The way (to being ready to start games) is to complete three, four, five weeks in a row without problems, without feeling pain, without feeling problems. And then he is a normal player.”These nine days before Tottenham face Coventry on Monday next week, could prove valuable as Maddison continues to build his fitness. Spurs have lacked a natural creative presence in the number 10 role, so getting the midfielder back to a level where he can start and influence games would give De Zerbi another important option.Mateus Fernandes also needs to establish himself in the team. De Zerbi described him as ‘one of the best players’ in his squad on Friday, yet the Portuguese midfielder was introduced with barely two minutes of normal time remaining. The head coach has acknowledged that it will take time for the £85 million summer signing to settle into his new surroundings, after a somewhat difficult start.His situation has also been complicated by being used in an unfamiliar number 10 role for much of the season. With Rodrigo Bentancur suspended for Tottenham’s next three fixtures, Fernandes should have a greater opportunity to earn minutes in his preferred number eight position.5. Giving Luca Williams-Barnett a clearer pathway into the first teamSeveral Tottenham supporters were hoping to see 17-year-old academy prospect Luca Williams-Barnett make his Premier League debut on Saturday after De Zerbi revealed the previous day that he was ‘thinking’ about giving the youngster some minutes.Instead, Williams-Barnett was not even included in the matchday squad, despite there being no Under-21 fixtures at or around the time of the game. Concerningly, there is also growing interest in his future from elsewhere. As we have reported in recent days, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Man United and Chelsea are monitoring a move for the Spurs youngster.Tottenham have already begun talks over a new contract as they look to ward off that interest. However, securing his future will not necessarily be straightforward if the teenager cannot see a realistic pathway into the senior side anytime soon.Hopefully, the youngster is included in the trip to Marbella and gets the chance to train alongside the senior players. With newly-promoted Coventry up next, Tottenham could have their best opportunity to give him some minutes.READ MORE: Sol Campbell fans the flame after pleading with Tottenham fans to forgive him – Spurs WebThe post Five things Roberto De Zerbi will be working on with Tottenham in Marbella appeared first on Spurs Web.