Tottenham's Struggles: De Zerbi Admits Team Still in Formation

Tottenham’s season lasted 90 brutal minutes at the Gtech Community Stadium before reality bit. A 3-0 defeat to Brentford, and Roberto De Zerbi’s verdict was as stark as the scoreline.

“We are not a team yet,” he said. Not a complaint. A diagnosis.

Spurs’ new era starts with a thud

This was supposed to be the launchpad. A club that flirted with relegation last season, now ready to spend more than £300m, turning over the squad and the mood. Instead, they were outplayed, outfought and, at times, overwhelmed.

Brentford didn’t just beat Spurs. They handled them. Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt and Michael Kayode scored the goals, but the gulf in cohesion told the real story. Tottenham looked like strangers; Brentford looked like a side deep into year two of a clear plan.

De Zerbi cut a frustrated figure afterwards, his criticism pointed but controlled. He lamented the lack of fight, the physical shortfall, the pre-season choices. The trip to Australia, he suggested, had not allowed his squad to work “in the right way”.

“We are not in the right physical condition for a lot of reasons,” he said. “Some players came back late from the World Cup. In Australia we don’t work in the right way but it is not excuses. It is a normal situation when building a new project.”

Normal or not, the performance was alarming. Spurs lost duels all over the pitch, reacted second to loose balls and never once imposed themselves.

“We could fight stronger than we did today,” De Zerbi admitted. “We lost too many duels today. We arrived second in the second balls. We didn’t win one second ball, one duel, one tackle.”

Big names, little chemistry

Tottenham’s starting XI carried the sheen of a rebuild. Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali all made their debuts. On paper, it looked like a serious upgrade.

On grass, it looked like a group still learning each other’s names.

Spurs are close to adding more firepower, with Omar Marmoush and Savinho set to bolster the attack, but De Zerbi was clear: you don’t buy chemistry.

“There are steps to become better,” he said. “Now the target is to become a team. You can’t become a team from the transfer market on paper. You become a team when the players find a connection, a spirit, a soul. It’s a project.”

He also pointed to absentees. Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso and Micky van de Ven were all missing, while Rodrigo Bentancur, who started on the bench, returned late in pre-season. The spine De Zerbi envisages is still incomplete.

Still, he refused to retreat into self-pity.

“I don’t want time but we have to pass through these problems,” he insisted. “I cannot lose confidence in my players. I believe in my players, my club, myself. We are working well. We have to improve quickly.”

Quickly will have to mean immediately. Performances like this rarely buy patience in north London.

Brentford’s project purrs into gear

If Tottenham looked like a team at the beginning of something, Brentford looked like one already deep into the journey.

Keith Andrews, starting his second season in charge, watched his side dismantle Spurs with a mix of control and edge. Lewis-Potter struck, Janelt added another, and Kayode capped a dominant display, but the afternoon belonged to Mamadou Sangaré.

The £39m signing from Lens owned the midfield on his debut. Strong, composed, always available, he gave Brentford a platform Spurs never came close to matching.

“The club deserve a lot of credit for getting that deal done,” Andrews said. “You’ve seen today what he’s capable of, the attributes he has. It adds to a talented midfield. I really enjoyed his performance today. He’s slotted in really well. He’s a humble young man who’s very, very hungry.”

Hunger. Fight. Structure. All the things De Zerbi said his side lacked, Brentford showed in abundance.

Tottenham will point to missing players, to heavy legs, to a project still in its infancy. Brentford don’t need caveats. They have a scoreboard, a performance and a statement win.

For Spurs, this was a harsh reminder: transfer fees and big names don’t make a team. Not yet. Not here. And unless that “spirit” and “soul” De Zerbi talks about appears quickly, how long will this project be allowed to breathe?