Roberto De Zerbi has been accused of making a big error after backing one Tottenham Hotspur man as a regular starter this season.
Spurs were handed a harsh lesson by Brentford, who looked much fitter and more energetic on Saturday than the away side, who were disjointed.
While Roberto De Zerbi remains adamant that Tottenham can be a real force when they click as a team, the Italian will be under pressure very quickly if the performances do not improve, given how he has been backed this summer.
While Spurs have several key starters to come into the team, one pundit is worried about the readiness of a 23-year-old, who has established himself as De Zerbi’s first choice.
Roberto De Zerbi told Antonin Kinsky is not ready to be Tottenham’s number one
Spurs have opted not to replace Guglielmo Vicario with a new number one, with Antonin Kinsky being backed to remain the first choice in goal after his strong end to last season.
However, the 23-year-old was at fault for Brentford’s second goal on Saturday, parrying Mathias Jensen’s strike into the path of Vitaly Janelt, who converted the rebound.
Tony Cascarino is not convinced that Kinsky has what it takes to be Tottenham’s number one and believes that the club should have got an experienced goalkeeper through the door.
The former Chelsea man told talkSPORT: “Watching them yesterday was scary and the goalkeeper Kinsky for the second goal, you cannot… I’m watching goalkeepers who can’t catch the ball. Catching the ball! He could palm it around the post or whatever, but it’s, to me, an effort that goalkeepers used to catch.”
Asked if he thought it was the right decision for De Zerbi to stick with Kinsky as his No.1 goalkeeper, Cascarino replied: “No, I thought they needed a new goalkeeper. They could have got Emiliano Martinez out of Aston Villa because he looks like he could go. I’d have taken him an experienced goalkeeper, a lot more solid.
“I wasn’t a fan of Vicario. It’s been a tough period for Spurs, but Kinsky doesn’t look like the answer to me. We’ve all had bad games. I’ve had plenty of them in my career, but when you do certain things, a simple catch that ends up making it 2-0 for Janelt, who was on the end of that effort that he just blocks basically. He’s basically set up Janelt to just knock it in the back of the net.”
Kinsky has to repay De Zerbi’s faith
Despite spending huge amounts on strengthening across the pitch this summer, De Zerbi has taken a bold decision by backing the Czech goalkeeper as his number one.
In fact, the Tottenham boss has said that Kinsky has the qualities to evolve into one of the best in the world.
The former Slavia Prague man now has huge responsibilities on his shoulders, and he has to repay his manager’s faith and prove that he is good enough to handle the pressure that comes with being Spurs’ number one.