Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara did not hold back in his assessment of the current squad following the narrow defeat at the Stadium of Light.
Reacting after the game on X, the pundit delivered a scathing review of the collective performance, describing his former team as "woeful" and lacking the required fight for a survival battle.
The frustration peaked when O'Hara singled out centre-forward Dominic Solanke individual for a brutal zero rating, reflecting a display that offered nothing to the cause. He also dished out 1/10 ratings to both Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani, along with scores of just two for Conor Gallagher and Destiny Udogie.
In a separate tweet, O'Hara wrote: "Disgrace of a performance again from Spurs, the lack of quality from these players is unbelievable I’ve seen better non league performances, don’t see anything to say we’re capable of staying up."
While the fans and pundits expressed their fury, new head coach De Zerbi offered a curious perspective. The former Brighton boss suggested that his role might be more therapeutic than technical in the coming weeks.
In a surprising post-match interview, the Italian said in bizarre claim about his players: "I can be a big brother, father, they don't need a coach. They don't need to improve football. They can play better and they will play better once we reach a different level of confidence. 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."
The match itself was decided by a cruel piece of fortune on the hour mark. After a cagey first half where Tottenham struggled to create meaningful openings, Sunderland found the breakthrough when Nordi Mukiele’s shot took a significant deflection off a defender, leaving goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky with no chance.
De Zerbi insisted his side were the victims of bad luck rather than bad play, telling reporters: "Sorry because we didn't deserve to lose the game. We played a good game, maybe not enough to win but we were unlucky in a few situations in the first half. I cannot say anything to players because they gave their best in terms of attitude and spirit."
The afternoon went from bad to worse for the visitors when captain Cristian Romero was forced off following a heavy collision with his own goalkeeper. The Argentine defender was visibly emotional, leaving the field in tears, which has sparked immediate fears regarding a long-term layoff that could impact both club and country.
With Tottenham’s winless streak in the league now stretching back 105 days, the potential loss of their most influential leader is a catastrophe De Zerbi can ill afford.