Roberto De Zerbi May Already Know Tottenham’s Biggest Mistake
Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham project is beginning to raise serious concerns, with Spurs’ poor start making it increasingly difficult to see the progress expected after a huge summer rebuild.
Tottenham finally ended their wait for a Premier League goal on Saturday, but the relief was short-lived. Spurs found the net against Aston Villa, only to suffer a damaging 3-1 defeat at home against another team that had struggled during the opening weeks of the season.
The result has intensified questions surrounding De Zerbi’s plans.
After spending more than £300 million during the summer transfer window, Tottenham entered the campaign with expectations of a major transformation. The club wanted to move away from consecutive bottom-half finishes and challenge for European football again.
De Zerbi was appointed because he was expected to provide exactly that change.
The Italian has developed a reputation for intense, aggressive football, bravery in possession and a willingness to take tactical risks. Tottenham supporters expected those characteristics to become visible quickly.
Instead, Spurs currently look short of confidence, intensity and, perhaps most importantly, a recognizable identity.
The problem De Zerbi may have seen coming
Taking risks is nothing new for De Zerbi. His football has always demanded courage from his players. But when a manager asks his team to operate within such a demanding system, there needs to be a clear benefit.
At Tottenham, that benefit has been difficult to identify.
Spurs have struggled to maintain attacking pressure, their performances have often lacked intensity and they have looked vulnerable whenever opponents put them under sustained pressure.
Considering the amount of money invested into the squad, those weaknesses are becoming increasingly frustrating for supporters.
Injuries have certainly played a role, but they cannot explain everything.
Tottenham have still had plenty of quality available, while the club spent heavily during the summer to improve the squad and give De Zerbi more options.
That means the manager is running out of easy explanations.
And perhaps the most interesting part of the situation is that De Zerbi may already have identified one of the things Tottenham needed most.
Palhinha was the player De Zerbi wanted
At the end of last season, when Tottenham were battling to avoid further trouble, very few players consistently showed the mentality and character needed during difficult matches.
One of those players was João Palhinha.
The Portuguese midfielder became one of the more dependable figures in a disappointing campaign. His game was built around aggression, discipline, experience and a willingness to perform the less glamorous work required in midfield.
De Zerbi himself appeared to recognize his importance.
When asked about Palhinha’s future, the Tottenham manager made his desire to keep the midfielder clear.
«“100 per cent [I want to keep him next season].”»
De Zerbi went on to explain what made Palhinha valuable to his plans, emphasizing the importance of having reliable players and people within the squad.
He also spoke about wanting players with “passion”, “attitude”, “spirit” and “personality”.
Those comments now look particularly relevant given Tottenham’s current struggles.
If Palhinha represented the kind of mentality De Zerbi believed Tottenham needed, then the decision not to make his permanent arrival a greater priority deserves attention.
Tottenham reportedly had an option to sign him permanently for around £26 million.
Compared with the more than £300 million spent across the summer, that fee was relatively modest.
More importantly, Palhinha could have addressed one of Spurs’ biggest weaknesses.
He is an experienced defensive midfielder capable of shielding the defence, disrupting opposition attacks and dealing with dangerous transitions. His physicality, discipline and competitiveness can also provide protection for more creative midfielders.
At 31, he would obviously not have been a long-term solution. He also offers a different profile from players such as Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, who can provide greater technical variety and versatility.
But Tottenham did not simply need another talented midfielder.
They needed balance.
Spurs needed the ugly work
Tottenham needed someone willing to do the dirty work that allows creative players to operate more freely.
Someone who could recognize danger, win duels, break up attacks, commit tactical fouls when necessary and provide protection in front of the defence.
Palhinha could offer many of those qualities.
Instead, Tottenham invested heavily in other areas while the same fundamental weaknesses continued to appear.
The defeat against Aston Villa once again exposed those problems.
Spurs finally scored their first Premier League goal of the season, but rather than using that breakthrough as a platform, they eventually collapsed to a 3-1 home defeat.
And that is why the concern extends beyond one result.
It is about the overall direction of the team.
Tottenham spent heavily because the club wanted immediate improvement. De Zerbi was brought in because he was expected to establish a demanding footballing identity and make Spurs competitive again.
But spending money does not automatically create a successful team.
New signings have to fit together. The manager must find the right balance, players need to understand their roles and the team must develop a clear tactical identity.
Right now, Tottenham appear to be struggling to make those pieces work together.
The pressure will naturally grow if results continue to disappoint.
De Zerbi still has time to change the situation, and judging an entire rebuild after only a handful of matches would be premature.
However, the warning signs are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
The Italian was hired to improve Tottenham’s mentality and intensity.
Ironically, those are two of the qualities Spurs appear to be missing most often.
And that leaves a major question hanging over the project:
After spending more than £300 million and giving De Zerbi significant backing, why do Tottenham still look so far away from the team supporters were promised?
Injuries and bad luck may explain part of the situation, but eventually the performances have to improve.
For De Zerbi, that pressure could arrive sooner than expected.
