Glenn Hoddle believes Roberto De Zerbi ‘dug out’ Mikey Moore after Tottenham’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday night.
Spurs were convincingly beaten by Brentford in their Premier League opener as goals from Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt and Michael Kayode sealed a deserved win for Keith Andrews’ side.
De Zerbi handed starting debuts to Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Sandro Tonali, while £85 million summer signing Mateus Fernandes was brought on as a half-time substitute.
However, Spurs struggled to trouble Brentford’s defence and speaking after his side’s defeat, De Zerbi named Moore when highlighting the poor approach to pressing from his players.
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‘We were not ready to fight in the duels,’ De Zerbi said.
‘I think we made a lot of mistakes in the timing of the pressure with Mikey Moore in the left centre, we arrived too many times late.
‘We lost too many duels to compete with Brentford, I’m sorry for that, I’m sorry for the defeat. I know we have to improve in the physical condition, we have to improve in the organisation because there were many new players.’
When asked about De Zerbi’s comments, Hoddle told Premier League Productions: ‘I think they struggled a little bit having Archie Gray and Mikey Moore down that right side, they weren’t pressing together, I think that’s what he’s alluding to, but he’s dug him out a little bit there.
‘If you’re going to press you have to press together, it’s no good one person going on his own. Brentford’s first goal I’m thinking, ‘Richarlison, don’t go to the goalkeeper’, but he did, presses him, waste of energy. They were not doing that well.’
Hoddle also believes that Spurs should have abandoned their game plan in the first half and played more direct in an attempt to pin Brentford back in their own half.
‘They weren’t up for the 50-50s, they weren’t competing, the press wasn’t good, I couldn’t understand the press, they were all getting there late,’ Hoddle said.
‘But the other thing, you go to Brentford, a tough place to play, and for the first 20 minutes you know you’re going to come under the cosh, now they’ve tried to play like they’ve played in pre-season and perhaps how they’ve prepared for the game, played every goal kick short, and play out, and they know Brentford will come and press you, so why not just for 20 minutes play longer, every goal kick on the halfway line, go and play in their half for 20 minutes, then as the game opens up you start playing through the lines and opening the game up.
‘But from the first minute it was like, ‘this is the way we’re going to play with the ball’, and Brentford went ‘thank you very much’, and Brentford pressed the life out of them.
‘Sometimes you’ve just got to change or you’ve got to prepare that way. If you’re at home against Brentford, different story, first game of the season they’re up for it, play differently, play in their half for 20 minutes.’
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