Roberto De Zerbi has made a candid admission after seeing his Tottenham side fail to find the back of the net for the fourth Premier League game in a row.
Nearly a full month since the new Premier League season began, Spurs fans still have not had a single goal to cheer.
Some pundits billed Tottenham’s clash against Everton as a must-win game for the home side, but the Lilywhites once again struggled to break down the opposition and fashion chances.
Spurs’ issues in the final third are becoming a major concern, with many starting to wonder where Tottenham’s goals are going to come from this season.
Roberto De Zerbi blames Tottenham players’ physical condition for failing to sustain intensity
The home side got off to a rolling start in the first half an hour, pinning Everton back and playing with a level of intensity that the away side could not cope with.
However, they were not able to sustain that intensity, and Roberto De Zerbi has suggested that their failure to do so is because the squad is not yet at the required level physically.
When asked why Tottenham’s strong start did not translate into goals, the Italian told Football.London: “I am honest, I am always honest with you because when we play bad, I say we played very bad but when I come in press conference, 99 per cent I am honest. Like with the players and like with the club. I said we started this season late in many, many reasons and too late. Many players at the World Cup, many injuries, many problems in Australia.
“Mateus Fernandes, Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke and for not our responsibility or our club responsibility. We brought two players late, Savio and Marmoush, and I started to work with this (whole) group not last Thursday but two Thursdays ago. So, I think we have not the right physical condition yet. I think we played very well the first 30 minutes and then maybe the energy? Maybe the fact we didn’t score? Maybe we lost in some players a little confidence. We have to be not positive but realistic.
“If we extend that part of the game 30 minutes to 60, 70, 80 and 90, in my opinion, for my belief, we are going to win many games. We have to improve in the last third of the pitch, for sure. The last decision, the last pass and we have to shoot more times especially when we have space and time to do; we have to do with the right spirit, but I can’t say nothing bad.”
De Zerbi admits four games without a goal is tough to accept
The Tottenham boss praised the fans for getting right behind the team in the opening stages of the game, but confessed that it was deflating for everyone when that spell did not produce a goal.
However, De Zerbi decided to stress the positives and urged his players to continue improving while blocking out the outside noise.
He added: “I know how the players are working, I think we are in the right way but it’s tough to explain because four games without goals is tough to accept. We are sorry for the fans, but the fans they went behind the players. When the players in the first 30 minutes, they played very well, it was a hot, hot stadium and then everyone like me, like every fan inside of Tottenham or the people inside of the club, we were sad because 75 times in the goal area and not shoot enough to explain the quality of the play we did and also in the second half.
“I watch many, many games where the winning team created less than us in the second half. What is the problem? The problem is the goal and the most important problem, the real problem is the players have to be focused on the first 30 minutes and the improvements we can do, and we have to do. Not about social media, not about the journalist because today if we had won, now we stay in different way. With smile, great first half, great spirit in the second half and great, great, great but the result change the opinion. In my opinion, no? Because I am a coach and not a journalist or a fan.”