Key Takeaways
- Roberto De Zerbi revealed that the Richarlison situation altered “without my decision” in the final days of the window while defending the decision to sell Will Lankshear.
- The Tottenham boss insisted that the team’s current scoring difficulties are purely a “coincidence” given the high number of chances created against Liverpool and Everton.
- De Zerbi rejected claims that Conor Gallagher is underappreciated and gave his full backing to Sandro Tonali, describing him as a “complete midfielder” who is adapting well.
Striking options and transfer decisions under scrutiny
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi has lifted the lid on the club’s forward dynamics ahead of their Premier League encounter against Aston Villa. Asked about the sale of youngster Will Lankshear to Middlesbrough—where the forward has netted eight goals in ten appearances—the Italian coach stood by the squad’s construction while explaining how late circumstances altered his attacking department.
Addressing whether sanctioning Lankshear’s departure was an error, De Zerbi clarified his thinking: “I think no, because Solanke is good player. Marmoush is another good player. And then there was the Richarlison situation, different of the Richarlison situation changed… changed in the last five days without my decision.” When pressed on whether he would have preferred to retain the young striker, he responded: “Three strikers. How many strikers you want in the squad? Three strikers I think are enough. To answer the player in Middlesbrough, no.”
Patience in front of goal and squad belief
Spurs head into the Aston Villa fixture seeking sharper finishing after generating opportunities without maximizing their points tally, having played out a 0-0 draw against Everton in the Premier League. Asked if he had ever endured a coaching spell where his sides struggled to find the back of the net, De Zerbi remained unconcerned.
“No, never. Never. I conceded many goals maybe, but to score, no. But I think is casualty, is a coincidence,” De Zerbi explained. Reflecting on recent displays against Liverpool and the goalless stalemate with Everton, he outlined the volume of openings his team has fashioned: “I think nine chance to score in Anfield are not so few, no? And also with Everton, not so many chance so clear, but a couple of chance clear and another three, four potential clear chance to score. And even we are not scoring, I can’t change the opinion about the players, the qualities of the players.”
Emphasizing the need for composure in the final third rather than wholesale disruption, De Zerbi noted: “Sometimes you have to change everything. Sometimes you have to improve what you already are doing and sometimes you have to stay calm.” He added: “Now we have two points on the table and for the performance we have done, I think we could have more than two points, from my perspective.”
Midfield roles, Gallagher admiration and Tonali adaptation
De Zerbi also offered high praise for midfielder Conor Gallagher, rejecting suggestions that the England international is undervalued. “From myself, no, he’s not underrated. Maybe for other coaches or other people. For me, no,” the manager stated. “I love him, he’s my player. I know he’s a reliable player. When I call him, he’s always ready to play, to fight, to run.”
Regarding marquee summer signing Sandro Tonali, De Zerbi dismissed any notion that a mental block is hindering the Italian midfielder. “No, no, no. I don’t want to speak about the block mental, because the football is if you score and if you find the goal, when you create chance, because from the sky it’s impossible to find the goal,” De Zerbi remarked, stressing that adaptation across a new environment takes time: “He’s a good guy. He’s working very hard and I’m happy to have Sandro. We are lucky to have Sandro with us. The adaptation has been not so fast, but can happen.”
De Zerbi further affirmed that Tonali possesses the modern skillset to operate in multiple roles alongside Lucas Bergvall: “He can play in both situations because his physical characteristics are to play box to box. But he started the career as a playmaker. He’s good enough with the ball. He’s good enough without the ball. Is a complete midfielder like Bergvall, like Mateus Fernandes.”
Tottenham Hotspur performance and stats
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur is currently 17th in the Premier League with 2 points.
In the last 4 games, it has drew twice and lost twice. In its last match, Tottenham Hotspur drew 0-0 against Everton.
It has a negative goal difference after scoring 0 goals and conceding 5.
Tottenham Hotspur will play the next match in Premier League against Aston Villa on Saturday 19th of September in London. The prediction is Tottenham Hotspur winning the match.
