Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi did not hide his disappointment after the team's 3-0 loss to Brentford on the opening day of the Premier League, saying the squad "is not a team yet" despite a massive summer spending spree. The Italian coach acknowledged that his side lacked intensity and seemed under‑prepared for the first match, a sentiment echoed by former England international Jamie Redknapp, who described the Spurs line‑up as a "team of strangers".
The club's summer outlay is expected to top the £300 million mark, with high‑profile targets such as Manchester City duo Savinho and Omar Marmoush reportedly close to completion. Yet, even with five of the six new arrivals featuring in the Brentford game, the newly assembled side were outclassed by the Bees, suffering a defeat that highlighted the lingering issues that saw Tottenham finish 17th in each of the last two seasons before narrowly escaping relegation on the final day. Speaking at the post‑match press conference, De Zerbi explained: "We are not a team yet for a number of reasons. Until we become a cohesive unit we cannot set realistic targets or predict what we are capable of achieving.
Physically we are not at the optimal level – many players arrived late after the World Cup, and our pre‑season tour in Australia did not allow us to train the way we needed to. These are not excuses, they are the normal growing pains of a new project." He went on to stress that building a squad is not something that can be achieved through the transfer window alone: "You cannot become a team on paper.
The players must develop chemistry, find a shared spirit and create a collective identity. That takes time and patience." Redknapp, commenting for Sky Sports, agreed that the lack of familiarity was evident: "You could say they were a team of strangers. They never seemed to click, especially in the midfield partnership of Jan‑Paul Van Hecke and Marcos Senesi.
They lost too many duels, and I wasn't convinced by the starting eleven. I missed the creative spark from Conor Gallagher in the number ten role, and I wondered where the imagination was going to come from. The hope is that Spurs will look very different in six weeks, but today they failed to execute the fundamentals needed to win a match." De Zerbi outlined a roadmap for improvement, noting that the focus now is on developing the "soul" and the "style of play" that he believes are essential for Spurs to become dangerous opponents. "When we finally find those two elements, we will be a threat to anyone," he said.
"Until then we must endure growing pains, and perhaps this defeat will make us stronger than we thought." The manager also addressed the second goal, which came after Lucas Bergvall's pass set up Mathias Jensen's saved effort, leading to Vitaly Janelt's rebound. Bergvall, who was taken off at halftime for Rodrigo Bentancur, was a 20‑year‑old who De Zerbi admitted would struggle with Brentford's physicality. "I knew the 20‑year‑old would find it difficult against such a robust side, but Bentancur was not fit enough to start," the coach explained. He added that Bergvall will learn from the experience and improve his decision‑making in crucial moments.
Analyzing the defensive line, De Zerbi compared the previous season's back four – Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie – with the current arrangement of Archie Gray, JP Van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson, highlighting the sheer turnover of personnel. In midfield, the shift from Bentancur and Joao Palhinha to Bergvall and the newly signed Tonali was also noted, with the manager emphasizing that late arrivals and injuries have forced him to adapt his selections. The young Archie Gray made history by captaining Spurs in a competitive match, stepping in for the absent new captain Micky van de Ven. Playing at right‑back due to Porro's delayed return from Spain's World Cup triumph, Gray admitted the team lacked fight: "We lost too many duels, they out‑worked us across the park.
We need to review the footage and improve that aspect. For the fans, we let them down in the first game – there are no words for that." Looking ahead, Tottenham will try to bounce back in the Carabao Cup, hosting Championship side Charlton Athletic on Wednesday, before returning to the Premier League against Newcastle United on Saturday. De Zerbi remains optimistic: "We are better than what we showed today.
From Wednesday we can demonstrate our qualities and who we truly are. Even if we win the next games, we still need time to become a genuine team." In summary, the early season loss underlines the transitional phase Spurs are undergoing. Massive investment, a raft of new faces, and a manager implementing a fresh philosophy mean that cohesion will not materialise overnight.
The challenge for De Zerbi and his squad is to translate individual talent into collective performance, develop the missing "soul" and "style of play", and turn the inevitable growing‑pain moments into stepping stones toward a more united and competitive Tottenham side.