Chris Nolan spots worrying habit De Zerbi is doing ‘every week’ at Tottenham

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Chris Nolan has become the latest pundit to criticise Roberto De Zerbi’s excuses this season as Tottenham slide toward another relegation battle.

Tottenham Hotspur have not had the start to the Premier League season they would have hoped for, despite their efforts to strengthen the squad in the summer.

Spurs are yet to taste a win after five games this campaign and are staring down the barrel of another relegation fight for the second season running.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	Manchester CityManchester City	5	5	0	0	13	5	8	15
2	ArsenalArsenal	5	4	0	1	8	4	4	12
3	BrightonBrighton	5	3	1	1	16	5	11	10
4	BrentfordBrentford	5	2	3	0	10	4	6	9
5	LeedsLeeds	5	2	3	0	7	3	4	9
6	LiverpoolLiverpool	5	2	3	0	7	4	3	9
7	EvertonEverton	5	2	3	0	6	3	3	9
8	Hull CityHull City	5	2	2	1	6	4	2	8
9	NewcastleNewcastle	5	2	2	1	9	9	0	8
10	ChelseaChelsea	5	2	1	2	10	12	-2	7
11	IpswichIpswich	5	2	0	3	7	11	-4	6
12	Manchester UnitedManchester United	5	1	2	2	8	8	0	5
13	Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest	5	1	2	2	4	5	-1	5
14	SunderlandSunderland	5	1	1	3	6	10	-4	4
15	Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace	5	1	1	3	6	11	-5	4
16	Aston VillaAston Villa	5	1	1	3	4	9	-5	4
17	BournemouthBournemouth	5	0	3	2	6	8	-2	3
18	CoventryCoventry	5	1	0	4	1	10	-9	3
19	FulhamFulham	5	0	2	3	5	8	-3	2
20	TottenhamTottenham	5	0	2	3	2	8	-6	2

This is far from what Tottenham would have wanted, especially not under Roberto De Zerbi, who saved them from going down after picking up 11 points from his seven games last season.

Chris Nolan questions Roberto De Zerbi’s excuses as pressure grows at Tottenham

De Zerbi’s slow start has attracted plenty of criticism from pundits and former players, with many pointing to the excuses offered by the Spurs manager early on this season.

Troy Deeney was the first to claim that De Zerbi should not blame a lack of time for his players to gel as an excuse for Spurs’ goalscoring struggles.

Now Chris Nolan, speaking on BBC Sport, has also opened up on De Zerbi, once more highlighting the Italian’s excuses as a reason for his concerns.

“I am really worried about Tottenham,” Nolan said on BBC 5 Live’s preview of the game.

“Every week Roberto De Zerbi has a different excuse. He does not stay around much at clubs and falls out with a lot of his owners. He is probably thinking: ‘Do I need this?’.

“He is not inspiring me as he was at the back end of last season in his interviews when he was very jolly and very positive about what he had to do.

“Everything is downbeat and it does not feel right when you are watching him in a press conference. Laying the blame on players and staff…it does not go anywhere other than the wrong way.

“If they are handily beaten by Villa today at home, serious questions will be asked. Equally, this Villa team which had its heart ripped out in the summer is a good side to face right now.”

De Zerbi’s temperament adds another layer to Spurs’ concerns

Of course, when results do not go your way, it can be frustrating and lead to excuses, and that looks to be the case at Tottenham. However, that is not to say De Zerbi cannot be an erratic figure at times, as his career record does hint at that.

De Zerbi fell out with the Marseille board and also did so when at Brighton. But so far at Spurs, his relationship with those higher up looks to be very good. Still, that does not mean he cannot walk away from his five‑year deal if things do not improve on the pitch.

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