De Zerbi comments on three Tottenham Hotspur players after a heavy defeat to Brentford in the Premier League.
Roberto De Zerbi, manager of the "Spurs," Tottenham Hotspur, admitted that three new players—Jan-Paul van Hecke, Sandro Tonali, and Marcos Senesi—were not in their best physical condition, contributing to the team's 0-3 away loss to Brentford in the opening Premier League match last night.
Spurs spent up to £237 million on summer signings, not including Savinho, who is about to join from Manchester City for another £85 million, but the result against Brentford was worse than many expected.
De Zerbi said, "It was a bad game. We lost and were outmatched in one-on-one duels—that was the key aspect of the game. We did not fight in the right way. Perhaps credit must be given to them because that is Brentford's strongest quality."
"The players' physical condition was not ready because many are new, having just come back from the World Cup, and there are many new players in the starting lineup. We have to analyze this game carefully because we cannot play like this in matches of this kind."
"I am surprised by the result and the performance. I knew we were not ready. There are no excuses. I apologize for the result and the performance. We are starting a new project and have not found our principles yet."
"Jan-Paul van Hecke, Sandro Tonali, and Marcos Senesi are not in their best physical shape. We knew that before the game. We need to improve in that area and in many others, such as team organization and applying pressure on the opponents."
"We can develop quickly, but first, we need to understand this game better. I am aware of their physical condition and that of the new players, but we must do more. We have to fight harder. The players know I have great confidence in them, and we hope to improve rapidly."