Roberto De Zerbi certainly dreamed of a very different first outing in the Premier League with Tottenham.
Spurs went down 3-0 to Brentford on Saturday, delivering a worrying performance to start their season.
Tottenham overwhelmed
Keane Lewis-Potter opened the scoring after a fine collective move from Brentford.
Vitaly Janelt then doubled the lead, before Michael Kayode made it 3-0 after the break.
- Keane Lewis-Potter opens the scoring
- Vitaly Janelt doubles the lead
- Michael Kayode seals it in the second half
Tottenham struggled greatly to create danger and did not even manage a single shot on target in the first half. Brentford, by contrast, showed greater collective control and intensity throughout the match.
De Zerbi takes responsibility
After the match, Roberto De Zerbi did not hide behind the circumstances.
The Italian coach admitted that his team had not fought hard enough, and apologised to the supporters.
This is precisely what makes this first outing concerning.
Tottenham have significantly overhauled their squad this summer. But against Brentford, the problem did not seem to be only about a new group's understanding: Spurs above all appeared to lack intensity and cohesion.
The result obviously does not condemn the De Zerbi project after just one match. But the start is difficult, and Tottenham already have a lot of work ahead of them.
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