Tottenham Hotspur have had a dreadful start to the Premier League campaign, and Roberto De Zerbi is already making excuses. The Italian has claimed that "we've only been working together since Thursday."
Troy Deeney took exception to this on talkSPORT, saying it was "not true" and "that's what Spurs do, they make excuses." The former Watford striker has portrayed this as more of a culture problem around the club.
De Zerbi managed to keep Spurs in the Premier League last season as they survived on the final day. He was then backed by the club spending over £300 million on players. However, they have yet to win a Premier League game so far this campaign. They were beaten heavily by Brentford, then lost to Newcastle United, before drawing with Nottingham Forest. They could have lost to Forest had Neco Williams' goal not been controversially ruled out by VAR for handball.
It looks like it is going to be another difficult season for Tottenham. They have finished 17th in the last two seasons, but with the players they signed over the summer, they should not be in relegation trouble again.
What excuses have previous Tottenham managers used?
De Zerbi's predecessor was Igor Tudor, who had a brief interim spell. He was quick to question the club's mentality and used excuses such as injuries. Ange Postecoglou, before him, also kept banging on about injured players, which Spurs did have, to be fair. He also used fixture congestion as an excuse. However, he did sacrifice Premier League form in order to win the Europa League.
The most notable outburst from a Tottenham manager was Antonio Conte's rant that led to his dismissal. His comments came after Spurs had thrown away a two-goal lead against Southampton. The Italian called his players "selfish" and criticised the club's hierarchy for their trophy drought.
Jose Mourinho also succumbed to the Tottenham excuses bug. He blamed referees and club culture. Eventually, Mourinho was sacked just before the EFL Cup final. Thomas Frank is another Spurs manager who used injuries as his main excuse.
It was thought that Spurs had turned a corner this summer. Daniel Levy is no longer at the club, and they released the purse strings this summer by signing established Premier League players. However, it appears to be the same old story regarding the club. They have changed the club's hierarchy, managers, and players, but Tottenham appears to be stuck in the same rut, and no one can put a finger on why.
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