Roberto De Zerbi has seemingly begun pointing fingers at his Tottenham Hotspur squad, citing their sub-par fitness as a reason for their drab start to the season, following last weekend's 0-0 draw against Everton.
The Toffees played their part, operating an effective man-to-man marking structure that helped extended Spurs' barren, goalless start to the new Premier League season.
Despite overseeing a £350 million summer spending spree designed to fire Spurs back into the Champions League, De Zerbi watched his side draw yet another blank this past weekend.
Spurs players 'not fit enough' despite full De Zerbi pre-season
Tottenham have now failed to find the back of the net in their opening four league fixtures of the 2026/27 campaign. Rather than taking tactical responsibility for his team's lack of a cutting edge, some may take the view that De Zerbi has opted to pass the buck.
Speaking to Sky Sports following the final whistle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Spurs boss shifted the focus away from his own setup and directly onto the application of his players.
"The physical condition of the team is not the best," De Zerbi claimed when pressed on his side's attacking struggles.
It is something of a deflection from the manager keen to explain away an unexpected start to the season.
De Zerbi did suggest he felt the team played well on Merseyside, referencing the number of times they entered the Everton penalty area, but was frustrated his players did not take enough shots. Choosing to cast blame onto the physical state of the dressing room, as well as individuals' decision-making, is certainly a choice when this is a dressing room he spent an entire pre-season preparing physically and tactically.
What makes De Zerbi’s comments particularly concerning for Spurs fans is how familiar they sound.
Just seven months ago, back in February, former boss Igor Tudor made similar comments. The Croatian accused a fatigued Tottenham squad of lacking basic fitness and desire during a torrid run of form. Tudor’s public assessment subsequently alienated key players, ultimately accelerating his exit, leaving a toxic atmosphere in north London.
De Zerbi was brought in to lift that gloom, and achieved that during the latter part of last season by rebuilding player confidence, none more so than Dutch defender-turned-skipper Micky van de Ven.
But as the pressure mounts, he appears to be pulling from the same playbook of excuses as his predecessor.
Leaning on fitness issues after just four games is something of a red flag. If the Italian cannot figure out how to integrate £350m worth of new talent and get Tottenham firing in front of goal, the blame game will do little to save him from difficult conversations with his superiors, and crucially, maintaining the good will of fans.
