Roberto De Zerbi named three Tottenham players who are not in good enough ‘physical condition’ while singled out another for making mistakes in a punishing defeat to Brentford on Saturday.
It was a nightmare start to the Premier League season for Spurs as they were hammered 3-0 by their London rivals.
Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt and Michael Kayode scored the goals at the Gtech Community Stadium as the Bees soared to a dream opening weekend win.
De Zerbi was unsurprisingly disappointed with his side after spending well over £200m on new signings already this summer, with more expected to arrive before the transfer window closes.
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The Italian criticised the lack of fight his team showed and named three new signings – Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Sandro Tonali – as not being physically prepared for the contest.
‘Bad game,’ De Zerbi told the BBC. ‘We lost and suffered the difference in the duels. It was the key of this game. We didn’t fight in the right way. Maybe credit to them because it’s the best quality Brentford have.
‘Our physical condition was not at the right level for all players because many came later after the World Cup and there were many new players in the squad and first XI. But we have to analyse this game better because we can’t play this way in this type of game.
‘I am surprised by the result and performance. I knew we were not in the right condition. We can’t find an excuse. I am sorry for the result and performance. We are starting a new project and we couldn’t find the principal.’
He added: ‘Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Sandro Tonali are not in the best physical condition. We knew that before the game. We have to improve on that and many other things, like organisation and pressing.
‘We can improve quickly but first, we have to understand this game better. I know their physical condition and new players but we have to put something more. We had to fight more. Players know I have a lot of confidence in them and we hope to improve quickly.’
‘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,’ said the former Brighton boss.
‘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.’
Lucas Bergvall was substituted at half-time and De Zerbi admitted that he expected the midfielder to struggle, but his replacement, Rodrigo Bentancur, was not ready to start.
‘I was surprised, I was suffering for this defeat, but we are working,’ he said. ‘If you analyse last season, the defensive line, [Pedro] Porro, [Kevin] Danso, Micky van de Ven and [Destiny] Udogie. And today, Archie Gray, Jean Paul van Hecke, [Marcos] Senesi and [Andy] Robertson, four new players.
‘Two midfielders – Rodrigo Bentancur and [Joao] Palhinha. Today, two midfielders, Bergvall, why not Bentancur? Because he came late in the pre-season. In the pre-season, we worked with Lucas Bergvall.
‘I think at the beginning of the season, at the beginning of the new project, it was good, it was right to play with Lucas Bergvall.
‘But I knew before the game, Lucas Bergvall, in this type of game, maybe he could suffer more than Rodrigo Bentancur, 9 years older, and Lucas, 20. I knew before the game, but at the end you have to think.
‘We go, and we try to build something good for the club. We need also Archie Gray, we need also Lucas Bergvall, or we work for today. And tomorrow, I don’t know.’
Bergvall gave the ball away in the build-up to Janelt’s goal, but De Zerbi defended the Swede’s performance.
‘Lucas Bergvall, the second goal. I think he didn’t play bad today, even if I substituted in the half-time,’ he said.
‘But Lucas Bergvall in the next two years, he will not lose that ball in that moment of the game. But there are steps to become better.’
