Tottenahm Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi was speaking after the Blues held his side to a 0-0 draw - their fourth goalless game in the Premier League this season
Roberto De Zerbi, manager of Tottenham Hotspur, during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton Photo by Harvey Murphy/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Roberto De Zerbi, manager of Tottenham Hotspur, during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton Photo by Harvey Murphy/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Head coach Roberto De Zerbi admits Tottenham Hotspur have a mental block after they failed to break down Everton, but he believes that if they carry on playing over an entire game like they did against David Moyes’ men for the first half an hour then they will start winning matches.
A goalless draw on Saturday evening extended the Blues’ unbeaten run this term to five games in all competitions but left Spurs still waiting for their first Premier League goal and victory with the hosts being booed off at full-time by some of their supporters.
De Zerbi said: “There is a word in Italian which literally translates as if we unblock ourselves, I think that the team is extremely strong and we can score goals and win games. Other than Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush, the rest of the players have not scored many goals in their careers, but we have to find these goals and I think we can do it as we have great quality of play from our full-backs.
“We have a mental block because after four games we have no wins and no goals scored. It’s also tough for the players because they are human and good guys.
“I ask them to follow me because I was positive last season and couldn’t understand why they’re not the same this season. In Italy now, I would be the best coach, no? Two games, two clean sheets.
“I think the fans understand whether I make excuses or not. I came last season when the s**t was like this.
“I have always been not positive but realistic. Now I must explain I’m sorry for the result, but the improvement is not immediate.
“We didn’t score and we didn’t win but today and in Nottingham we played as a team. I cannot criticise the attitude of the players.
“I can tell them to stay calm and not to lose their confidence because we are not scoring and not winning. Individually, they need to understand the required improvement and at the end of the game I spoke to Mathys Tel to explain to him what his position was today.”
Tottenham came out of the blocks quickly but despite repeated waves of attack on the Everton goal throughout the early stages, Jordan Pickford was not tested until the second half. The Italian, who previously worked in the Premier League at Brighton & Hove Albion, believes that once his team get up to speed with their physical conditioning and are able to keep up such an approach over entire fixtures, then results will improve.
De Zerbi said: “I’m always honest with you, no? When we play bad, I say we play very bad, but when I come in the press conference, 99% I am honest like I am with the players and with the club.
“I said we started this season late. There are many, many reasons, but too late.
“Many players were at the World Cup and there were many problems with injuries, in Australia there was Matheus Fernandes, Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke. It was not in our responsibility of the club’s power. We bought two players late, Savio and Omar Marmoush, and they started to work with this group two Thursdays ago.
“So, I think we don’t have the right physical condition yet. I think we played very well in the first 30 minutes but then the energy, maybe the fact we didn’t score, maybe some players lost a little confidence?
“If we extend that part of the game to 60, 70, 80 or 90 minutes, in my opinion, we are going to win many games, but we have to improve in the final third of the pitch for sure. The last decision, the last pass, we have to shoot more times, especially when we have the space and time to do so with the right spirit.
“I can’t say anything bad because I know how hard the players are working and I think we are doing it the right way. It’s tough to explain because four games without goals is tough to accept and we are sorry for the fans.
“But the fans today were behind the players. In those first 30 minutes it was a hot, hot stadium.
“Then like me, like every fan of Tottenham and the people inside of the club, we were sad because 75 times in the goal area we did not shoot enough with the quality of play we produced. In the second half we created far less but the players have to be focused on those first 30 minutes and the improvements we need to do.
“If we had won then we would be smiling and talking about a great first half and great spirit in the second half but the result changes opinion. But I’m a coach, not a journalist or a fan.”