Roberto De Zerbi uses strong words to talk about his Spurs players as videos of his full-time reactions come out.
Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi called his team ‘too fragile’ after their 3-2 home loss to Aston Villa. The Italian coach faced some criticism for what he did after the match ended.
Villa took a strong lead with goals from Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson, and Emiliano Buendia, making the game almost impossible to win in the second half. Spurs did manage two late goals from Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke, but by then the result was set.
After the game, instead of thanking the Spurs fans or talking with his players, De Zerbi walked straight down the tunnel after shaking hands with Aston Villa’s boss, Unai Emery. Some fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium booed, frustrated by another match without a win. Spurs might even finish the weekend at the bottom of the Premier League if Fulham and Coventry win their games.
Many fans online were unhappy that De Zerbi didn’t join his players in applauding the fans, even though some had already left when the score was 3-0 with 7 minutes left.
Speaking to TNT Sports, De Zerbi said, “I think we could have scored many times in the first half. We gave up the goal but needed to defend better. In the second half, Villa scored from a goal kick and a great Buendia goal. We played well early but are too fragile. If we didn’t score, that’s on me. We need to work harder. Football is like life — you’re either strong or you lose.”
He added, “I can only talk about my work. We have to improve our play and be stronger. The game isn’t just about possession or attacking all the time. At times, we have to be closer to the opponent, stronger, and defend better. We didn’t do that properly today.”