Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi said his side is "not a team yet" and lacks fight following a defeat to Brentford, according to ESPN Singapore.
The match took place on Saturday, 22 August 2026. De Zerbi’s comments came after Tottenham fell to Brentford, a result that has intensified scrutiny on the club’s expensive summer rebuild.
ESPN Singapore reports that De Zerbi was blunt in his assessment, pointing to a lack of collective spirit and competitive edge in the squad. The Italian coach’s remarks follow a pattern of frustration as Tottenham continue to struggle under his leadership.
The loss to Brentford has drawn wider criticism. ESPN published a separate analysis asking whether De Zerbi can close the gap to Brentford, a club described as everything Spurs want to be. CNA noted that Tottenham’s expensive rebuild has begun with a familiar collapse, while The Guardian observed that despite significant summer spending, the new Spurs resemble the old Spurs. BBC also reported that De Zerbi must find a way to cure a losing mentality at the club.
The recurring theme across these reports is that Tottenham’s problems run deeper than personnel. Brentford, a club with a smaller budget, have shown organisation and cohesion that Spurs currently lack. De Zerbi’s public criticism suggests he sees a mentality issue that money alone cannot fix.
The next test for Tottenham will be whether De Zerbi can translate his frustration into a change in performance. With the season still early, the pressure is on the coach to forge a genuine team identity before the gap to their rivals widens further.
