De Zerbi questions Spurs' mentality after 2-0 Premier League defeat by Newcastle
Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-0 to Newcastle United in a Premier League match on Saturday, and manager Roberto De Zerbi said finding the "right mentality" is his biggest challenge after the club's second consecutive league defeat.
Tottenham's heavy summer spending—around 380 million pounds—has yet to yield results on the pitch, with five of their eight summer signings starting against Newcastle. Omar Marmoush, signed from Manchester City for 60 million pounds, and Sandro Tonali, acquired for an initial 92.5 million pounds, were among the new arrivals selected in the XI. De Zerbi said there was "no panic," adding: "I know where we are going and what the plan is. I'm sorry for the fans for the result. We have to improve. We have to work hard on the pitch and find the connection between the players."
Tottenham dominated large portions of the opening period but faded in the second half, allowing Newcastle to secure the win. There were brief positive moments for Spurs: Marmoush produced bright touches on his debut, Mathys Tel tested Luks Horncek with a powerful effort, and Jan Paul van Hecke threatened with a header. Despite those chances, Newcastle exposed the gap between Tottenham's summer outlay and their current progress on the field.
Sandro Tonali endured a difficult afternoon against his former club and was jeered by Newcastle supporters, who booed him every time he touched the ball. He was substituted shortly after Newcastle opened the scoring, and the away fans celebrated his departure from the pitch. The treatment of Tonali underlined the pressure surrounding Tottenham's high-profile acquisitions.
De Zerbi said the squad needs time to develop the balance and mentality required to compete at the top, stating: "It's the biggest problem, it's the biggest challenge and the biggest target is to find the right mentality. You can't find the right mentality in the transfer market. Football is a magical thing, you can change a lot of players and you can find the balance immediately or you need more time." He reiterated his belief that the club will reach that objective even if it requires patience.
The manager also revealed that Richarlison and Kevin Danso had requested to leave the club this week after Tottenham completed further signings, "including Svio and Marmoush from Manchester City." On those departures De Zerbi said: "I love Danso and Richarlison, they are great guys but if they want to leave they have to bring the economic solution to the club and they can go and we find other players." He backed his new signings to improve, adding: "Sandro is a crucial player that is not in the right, the best condition yet."
De Zerbi insisted he remained confident about the project, saying: "I want to achieve this target as soon as possible but I am in no doubt that we will reach it." He closed by expressing support for his squad: "But I love my players more today than if we had won. Because together we are rebuilding the club."