Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi did not hide his disappointment after the club’s 3-0 loss to Brentford in the opening match of the Premier League season. The Italian coach said the defeat highlighted the fact that his heavily revamped squad is still "not a team yet" despite the massive summer investment that is set to push total spending beyond the £300 million mark.
De Zerbi acknowledged that his side lacked the necessary fighting spirit on the day and that they were under‑prepared for the intensity of a season‑opening fixture. His comments were echoed by former England international Jamie Redknapp, who described the Tottenham eleven as a "team of strangers" who had not yet developed the cohesion required to compete at the highest level. The Spurs board has been active in the transfer market, with negotiations underway for Manchester City duo Savinho and Omar Marmoush, among other signings.
Yet, even with five of the six new arrivals featuring against Brentford, the team appeared disjointed and vulnerable, succumbing to a defeat that mirrored the club’s precarious 17th‑place finishes in the two previous campaigns before narrowly avoiding relegation on the final day of last season. Speaking to reporters after the match, De Zerbi said: "I think we are not a team yet, for many reasons.
We can’t define our objectives until we become a collective unit. At the moment we are not at the right level physically or tactically. The players arrived late after the World Cup, and the pre‑season tour in Australia did not give us the chance to work the way we needed to. There are no excuses – this is the normal growing‑pain when you are building a new project." He continued, "I believe in my players, I believe in the club, and I believe in myself.
After the Hoffenheim game last week we already knew we were behind schedule, but it is a step forward. We must improve quickly.
We lost too many duels, made too many mistakes in the timing of our pressing, and failed to win a single second ball or tackle. It was a harsh lesson." De Zerbi stressed that the priority now is to forge a genuine team identity. "You cannot create a team in the transfer window on paper. You create it on the pitch, when the players find a connection, develop a spirit and discover a soul together.
It is a process that takes time." Redknapp added his own critique, stating, "You could call them a team of strangers – they didn’t have that instinctive understanding when Van Hecke and Senesi link up. They lost too many duels, and I wasn’t impressed with the line‑up. I questioned where the creativity would come from, especially with Gallagher in the number‑10 role. The hope is that they will be a different side in six weeks, but today they missed the fundamentals required to win a match." Tottenham will look to bounce back in the Carabao Cup second round on Wednesday when they host Championship side Charlton Athletic, before taking on Newcastle United in their next Premier League fixture on Saturday.
De Zerbi reiterated his belief that the defeat could serve as a catalyst for growth: "This loss may wake us up and make us stronger. We need to find the soul and the style of play – both with and without the ball.
When we achieve those two conditions, we will become dangerous for any opponent. Until then, we must endure the growing pains." The match itself saw Brentford take the lead through a soft second‑goal sequence that began with Lucas Bergvall’s pass to Mathias Jensen, whose shot was saved before Vitaly Janelt headed home the rebound.
Bergvall, who was substituted at halftime for Rodrigo Bentancur, struggled with Brentford’s physicality, a fact De Zerbi admitted before the game. He explained that the 20‑year‑old was given a chance because Bentancur arrived late from the pre‑season, but the experienced midfielder was not yet fit enough to start. Reflecting on the defensive line, De Zerbi noted the stark turnover: "Last season we had Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie.
Today we started Archie Gray, Jan‑Paul Van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson – four brand‑new faces. In midfield we replaced Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha with Bergvall and Tonali.
The lack of continuity explains the disjointed performance." He also praised Bergvall’s effort, saying, "He didn’t play badly. In the next two years he will learn not to lose the ball in those moments." The match also produced a club record: 20‑year‑old Archie Gray captained Spurs, becoming the youngest ever to wear the armband in a competitive game after the regular captain, Micky van de Ven, was unavailable. Gray, who was deployed at right‑back due to Pedro Porro’s delayed return from Spain’s World Cup triumph, 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.
For the fans, we let them down in the first game – there are no words for that," he told Sky Sports. In summary, De Zerbi’s message is clear: Tottenham have a massive overhaul underway, but the chemistry and collective resolve required to succeed in the Premier League will not materialise overnight. The club must endure a period of adjustment, refine its tactical approach, and allow the new players to develop the understanding that transforms a group of individuals into a cohesive unit capable of challenging for honours.
The upcoming fixtures in the cup and league will provide the early tests needed to gauge progress as the new project takes shape.