Roberto De Zerbi is living a Tottenham nightmare, and his excuses are running out. Spurs finally got their first Premier League goal of the season on Saturday, but that was the only positive in a 3-1 home defeat against another out of form team in Aston Villa.
Tottenham fans need no reminding that the club spent more than £300million on new signings this summer, digging deep into their pockets in a bid to take the team from back-to-back bottom-half finishes to returning to Europe. In De Zerbi, they thought they had a coach who would do anything to win now, and one who would not compromise on intensity.
But that intensity is completely absent from this Spurs side, and it's getting difficult to see what Spurs are really getting from De Zerbi. The Italian brings risk because of the way he approaches coaching, like many intense head coaches, but that risk must be worth it, and it's currently not.
But where has it gone wrong? Spurs have injuries, but not like the last couple of seasons, and they have plenty of talent available to them, so there really are no excuses. But De Zerbi already knew what this Tottenham team needed at the end of last season, but the promise of big-money signings saw him veer away from what he knew would work.
Spurs had very few positive performers from last season. So many of the squad played a part in a campaign that saw Tottenham battle relegation until the very end of the season. But if there was one player you could hang your hat on for consistency, toughness and desire, it was Joao Palhina, and De Zerbi knew it himself.
He said at the time: “100 per cent [I want to keep him next season].
"We have to start with [those] types of people. More than players, we need reliable people, reliable players. Palhinha is one of the best, as a player for sure, but as a guy."
"I want to see the player with the same passion, the same attitude, the same spirit, the same personality, and we are lucky to have with us Palhinha."
Spurs had the option to buy Palhinha for just £26million, and he is exactly what this team needed. He is a professional, experienced player who takes pride, and specialises in, breaking up transitions in midfield. Palhinha is 31 years of age, yes, and he is not going to offer you the type of hybrid play Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali can on their best days, but he is also far better at playing the defensive midfield role than both of those players.
Tonali stats so far this season (excluding Villa game)
Key passes: 0
Defensive actions: 20
Progressive passes: 28
Interceptions: 13
Clearances: 4
Aerial duels won: 1
Stats by Xgstat.com
He has the discipline to sit in the midfield and take on all the dirty work, and he shows leadership on and off the pitch.
But De Zerbi already knew all that, he just got carried away when big money was flashed in front of his eyes. Spurs ended up spending £185million on their midfield, and neither Tonali or Fernandes can offer the consistency that Palhinha has.
Modern football has an obsession with hybrid midfielders who can do both the dirty work and get forward, but only a handful of players can do that job at the highest level and on a consistent basis. The vast majority of the time, clubs are better off having players who specialise in specific jobs, as the best pivot in the world, Rodri, has done for Spain, Manchester City and now Barcelona.
Palhinha is the type of player who helps set a culture at a club. He sets standards on and off the pitch, and he leads by example because he tends to have one job and masters it. Not signing him is a mistake De Zerbi is going to bitterly regret, and if he is to look back at the planning that went into building this squad, he is going to know it.