Brentford thrash Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 as Roberto De Zerbi preaches patience
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi has called for patience after his much-changed side suffered a humbling 3-0 defeat away to Brentford on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
Expectations were incredibly high heading into the new campaign following a lavish summer of spending by the north London club.
However, an intense and experienced Bees side overwhelmed the visitors, capitalising on disjointed pressing and chaotic defending.
The away side fielded four debutants in their starting line-up, while £85m summer signing Mateus Fernandes was later introduced from the substitutes’ bench.
Lack of cohesion exposed
The Italian manager admitted his squad were ill-prepared physically after a severely disrupted pre-season schedule.
Spurs fell three goals behind within 49 minutes, struggling to cope with the hosts’ suffocating high press.
Speaking after the match, the head coach stressed that his heavily altered squad has yet to forge an identity.
“I think we are not a team yet, for a lot of reasons.”
“You can’t become a team for the transfer market window. You become a team with the players. They find the connection between them, they find the spirit, they find the soul.”
Building a new identity
The Spurs boss opted to be cautious with the fitness of key personnel, including James Maddison, Dominic Solanke and Destiny Udogie.
With several players returning late from international duties, the starting line-up deployed in west London is unlikely to be used regularly as the season progresses.
Following successive 17th-place finishes in the top flight, an overnight transformation into a winning machine was always highly improbable.
The manager remains calm about the direction of the club but acknowledges there will be moments of suffering during this transitional period.
Further squad upheaval expected
A youthful defensive line featured three debutants alongside 20-year-old Archie Gray.
Despite making history as the youngest-ever club captain, the talented prospect was forced to operate out of position at right-back.
Further forward, a midfield pairing of Lucas Bergvall and Sandro Tonali struggled to plug gaps, leaving the attacking unit entirely isolated.
More transfer business is anticipated in the coming days as the recruitment team looks to overhaul their forward options.
Mikey Moore is expected to depart on loan, while moves for Manchester City duo Omar Marmoush and Savinho remain firmly on the agenda.