De Zerbi reacts to Tottenham defeat to Aston Villa amid sack calls: ‘I don’t know if it’s right or not’
Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi insists that his side are “too fragile” as they lost 3-2 to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.
Spurs were the better team for much of the first half, creating chances too, but Aston Villa punished them for not being ahead when Johan Manzambi gave the visitors the lead on the stroke of half-time.
Nicolas Jackson and Emi Buendia later extended Aston Villa’s lead before Tottenham scored their first two goals of the season late on through Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke late on to make the scoreline look better.
The defeat means Tottenham will spend the international break in the relegation zone, with sack calls growing on social media, after the Spurs board spent well over £300m attempting to improve De Zerbi’s side over the summer.
Giving his initial thoughts on the match, De Zerbi told TNT Sports: “I think we could score the first half many, many times. We concede the the goal in 10 players but we we had to stay more focused to defending that situation in extra time in the first half. In the second half we concede goal from the goal kick directly.
“Before then we score but it’s offside. The third goal, a great goal of Buendia. But I have to say, we played well in the first half, we didn’t score but too fragile.”
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When put to him what he can do as a manager when his side fail to score first, despite having so many chances, De Zerbi added: “If we didn’t score it’s my responsibility. I take the responsibility. We’re going to work harder, but football is like life. You are strong or you lose.”
On their poor home form, the Tottenham boss continued: “I can’t speak before my time, I can speak just for my work. We have to, like I said, improve the quality of the play, but to be stronger, no?
“Otherwise the game is not 90 minutes in ball possession, 90 minutes in the last third during the game, there are situations when we have to stay closer, we have to stay stronger, we have to defend better, ball on ball, and we didn’t, or we didn’t in the right way.”
When questioned about what he means when he says for Spurs to be “stronger”, De Zerbi replied: “Stronger, when we are in 10 players, one minute, we have to stay, we have to call, we have to stay like a family in the goal area to defend. Not so easy, like the goal kick in the second half when we concede the second goal.
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“It’s too less to concede goal. To score one goal we have to create 20 chances and the others, just one half, no one, because the goal kick is not a chance. Too easy for them to score, no?”
On whether the international break has come at a good time or not for Tottenham, De Zerbi concluded: “I don’t know if it’s right or not because it’s difficult to give an opinion. Because we played well and we created many, many chances. And then is is incredible how it can change one game, no?
“Because after the Buendia goal we were losing 3-0 and if you watch the first half, you can’t understand how at the end of the game, Tottenham could lose 3-0. There is a big, big work, but it’s my responsibility.”
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