Despite bankrolling an ambitious summer rebuild, Tottenham’s new manager Roberto De Zerbi has come under fierce criticism from pundit Chris Sutton over the club’s sluggish start to the season.
Sutton delivered a scathing assessment on BBC Sport, questioning whether De Zerbi is willing to look inward rather than deflect blame onto his players for a series of unconvincing performances.
The former Premier League striker was particularly unimpressed by De Zerbi’s decision to point the finger at his strikers following a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest.
“This is absolutely massive for Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi,” Sutton wrote. “First and foremost, though, he needs to take a bit of responsibility for his side’s poor results.”
Sutton acknowledged that Spurs at least have attacking options available, pushing back against any suggestion that the squad lacks resources up front.
“He blamed the Spurs strikers after their 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest, but at least he has got some in his squad,” Sutton added pointedly.
The pundit described Tottenham as a team built on probability rather than genuine quality in their current form, offering a blunt verdict on their prospects going forward.
“Spurs are a ‘law of averages’ team, or at least that’s the way I see it,” Sutton said. “Eventually they have to score and eventually they have to win too, but I don’t see both things happening this weekend.”
The criticism is particularly sharp given just how heavily Spurs invested in the squad during a transformational summer transfer window at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The club shattered their transfer record twice, bringing in Sandro Tonali from Newcastle in a high-profile £100m deal and Mateus Fernandes for £85m from West Ham.
De Zerbi further reshaped his attacking options by signing Brazilian winger Savio from Manchester City alongside Omar Marmoush to provide additional firepower in the final third.
Defensive depth was also prioritised, with Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, and veteran full-back Andy Robertson all arriving to give the squad a comprehensive makeover across every area of the pitch.
Despite that considerable outlay, the new arrivals have so far struggled to make their mark in the Premier League, leaving the team looking disjointed and short of the fluid, incisive play fans expected.
The rapid tactical overhaul required to integrate so many high-profile signings simultaneously has clearly created teething problems that have frustrated supporters expecting an immediate return on the club’s enormous investment.
With patience already wearing thin among the fanbase, De Zerbi faces mounting pressure to quickly turn a squad packed with expensive talent into a cohesive and winning unit.
