Roberto De Zerbi lost his first game in charge of Tottenham, as they suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Sunderland, leaving them two points adrift of safety with six matches remaining
Dejected Roberto De Zerbi admits that his Tottenham players 'don't have the 'confidence to play great football', admitting that he 'feels sorry for them'. Spurs suffered a 1-0 loss away to Sunderland in De Zerbi's first game in charge.
The Italian was appointed to replace Igor Tudor, who last month parted ways with Tottenham after only seven matches. Spurs' troubles have led them to 18th place, two points from safety as they stare into the abyss of a first relegation since 1977.
De Zerbi admitted in his first press conference that he'll put his philosophy to one side and prioritise results until the end of this season. That approach didn't work at Sunderland, with Tottenham failing to make use of their 48 per cent possession.
"We played a good game, maybe not enough to win but we were unlucky in a few situations in the first half," De Zerbi told Match of the Day post-match. "I cannot say anything to the players because they gave their best in terms of attitude and spirit.
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"We can play better for sure and you can feel better. We have to work on that. My work is not so much on the pitch because they are good guys and I am sorry for them. I want to give them confidence in what they need.
"Tactically, we played a good first half. With the ball and without the ball. We don't have confidence to play great football but we did what we have been working on this week. The players can play better if they are feeling confident."
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The former Brighton boss also said: " My work is not so much on the pitch, they are good guys, I feel sorry for them. I can be a big brother, father.
"They don't need a coach. They don't need to improve football. They need confidence... Once we are able to win a game, everything will change."
That change will need to come fast. Spurs face Brighton next Saturday, crucially before two of their relegation rivals, Nottingham Forest and West Ham, are in action. A win - something they haven't done in the Premier League in 2026 - would see them climb out of the relegation zone.