De Zerbi slams Tottenham as 'not a team' after Brentford clash, criticises lack of fight
Quick summary
Brentford manager Roberto De Zerbi publicly criticised Tottenham after their Premier League meeting, claiming Spurs are 'not a team' and questioned their willingness to fight.
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Attributed to original source‘We are not in the right physical condition’
Spurs beaten 3-0 at Brentford in Premier League opener
Roberto De Zerbi said that Tottenham are “not a team” after they opened their season with a humiliating 3-0 defeat away to Brentford.
Spurs are looking to kick on after almost going down last season and are expected to spend more than £300m this summer but they were handed a rude awakening at the Gtech Community Stadium. Brentford outclassed the north Londoners and left De Zerbi rueing a lack of fight from his players, bemoaning his side’s physical conditioning and suggesting that the pre-season tour of Australia was less than ideal.
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What happened
Following Brentford's Premier League fixture against Tottenham, manager Roberto De Zerbi delivered a scathing assessment of Spurs, declaring they are 'not a team' and singling out a lack of fight and collective identity. The comments come in the aftermath of a result that appears to have vindicated Brentford's approach. For Tottenham, the public criticism from an opposing manager adds to scrutiny around their mentality and structure, intensifying pressure on the dressing room and coaching staff ahead of subsequent fixtures.
Chance analysis
Public criticism from a rival manager carries weight beyond the post-match noise. When an opposing coach singles out a side as lacking cohesion and fight, it reinforces narratives already circulating among supporters and pundits. For Tottenham, the bigger concern is not the quote itself but what it suggests about internal dynamics — team identity and mentality tend to correlate with results over a run of games. Brentford, meanwhile, earn a confidence boost from forcing a performance that drew such pointed praise for their approach.
Tottenham face intensified scrutiny over squad mentality and cohesion, while Brentford gain a psychological edge and confirmation of their competitive identity under De Zerbi.