The woes of Tottenham continue in the Premier League. On Saturday, the London club fell to Aston Villa 2-3, leaving them yet to secure a victory in their first five matches and firmly in the relegation zone. Despite a promising start, the Spurs fell apart, conceding again after initially taking the lead.
After the final whistle, manager Roberto De Zerbi was not shy about airing his frustrations in an interview with talkSPORT. The Italian was visibly shocked by the psychological weakness displayed by his players.
It’s hard to explain, because in 14 years of coaching, I’ve never seen a team like ours. So fragile, so unstable. You’re either good or you’re bad. You can’t play well for the first 30-40 minutes and then concede like this. It’s hard for me to accept.
When questioned about the reasons behind another setback, the coach admitted he struggled to provide a clear answer.
Look, I’m the coach, but I don’t have answers to all the questions... I have no answer to your question. What I can say is that I thought my team played very well in the first half, we had chances to score. We didn’t take them, then conceded the first goal... we need to stay closer, be stronger and more compact. In the second half, after Kudus’ goal, I don’t know if the players lost their strength... now we have to explain another defeat.
De Zerbi also highlighted a lack of leadership on the pitch.
Perhaps the issue lies in communication among players, perhaps leaders need to be stronger. We need leaders to guide the team. It’s been the same against Newcastle, Liverpool, Everton... we must find solutions.
Looking ahead, the beleaguered Tottenham side faces a daunting away trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United in their next Premier League fixture.
