Here's every single word the Tottenham head coach said at his press conference on Tuesday ahead of the Carabao Cup match against Charlton
Roberto De Zerbi spoke about his new Tottenham signing Savio among other topics at his press conference on Tuesday ahead of the Carabao Cup second round tie against Charlton.
Spurs sealed the transfer of Savio from Manchester City for £75million, with another £10million in add-ons. The north London outfit have now committed £319million towards seven signings in the summer transfer window with more to come before it closes. De Zerbi would like to add Savio's City team-mate Omar Marmoush to his squad while Liverpool's Cody Gakpo is also on his wishlist.
First, the Lilywhites must get Saturday's woeful performance against Brentford in their Premier League opener in the rearview mirror and they have the opportunity against Championship side Charlton in the Carabao Cup at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night.
Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to De Zerbi as he spoke about the latest team news, transfer updates and plenty more on Tuesday afternoon. Here's the full press conference from the press conference at Hotspur Way.
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You're no doubt delighted that you have your new man, Savio. Where do you feel you can improve him as a player and tell us about the name change as well, because you even got it wrong, didn't you, in the intro video?
The most important thing is not to call Mathys Tel Savio. Savinho, Savio, I understand. I think if you analyse the last season, I think as attackers, in attack position, we need players capable to win one-vs-ones, to create something, to create chance to score.
It's not to score a goal, but in terms of one-vs-one, he's one of the best players, especially because he's 2004. He can play in the right side, in the left side. I know him from a long time in Brighton. I spoke with him before he went to City. He's a big player for us, he's a big player, a big signing.
You mentioned the goalscoring isn't quite where it needs to be, can you apply that magic touch to help him with that?
I don't know if I'm the right man but for sure to improve he has to achieve that. I think the player is so good at one-vs-one, so good in creating chances to score, to be complete he has to score. If you analyse the other best wingers in the world, many of them, they score 10-15 goals per season.
He has the qualities, maybe his habits. He has to change habits because he has to be focused on the assists, the one-vs-one dribbling and also to score. Because we have to increase the number of chances to score and the number of goals. You become a top team scoring more goals.
How close are you to bringing another attacker in, there are reports that maybe one of his City team-mates might be having a medical today?
I don't know. It's not right to speak about the other players in the other teams. I think it's a crazy market, especially when the season has started. We are already close to the second game in the Premier League, but we have to adapt these rules and we accept these rules. We are working very well in the transfer market. I don't know if some players leave or not, some players come or not, but in this moment I think we are working very well.
Just to speak also about the defeat of Brentford, I think we could play better, much better. We could do much better than we did, but in the end in our plan is a different Tottenham, no? I'm calm for that.
And team news? Is Savio available for you? How is Van de Ven?
Van de Ven comes on the bench, Pedro Porro comes on the bench, Solanke is available to play, to start the game. Savio, I don't know if he's ready to play, if everything is good [with his work permit] to play or to come on the bench, but I'd great to use Pedro Porro inside and Micky van de Ven inside of the squad.
And any others that weren't available?
No, because Kudus is not ready yet, Maddison suffered a small injury on the shoulder.
You said on the tour that you're like a shark when you want to get a player in the transfer window, but with Savio he's been your plan A and it's taken quite a long time in the window. How do you stay patient when it's someone you want so much?
I am not patient. I have no patience, but I have to expect, because we started the negotiation for Savio one week or three days after the Everton game. And for many reasons we arrived in the last week of August to close Savio, but I think you can close other players, but if you want the highest level, the highest quality of the players, it's right also to wait something, more than a normal player.
Is that maybe a difference at the club now, waiting for the right player rather than just going for a plan B or a plan C?
Always we have a Plan B or Plan C. But the players are not like smartphones. They're different. Different personalities, different experiences, different characteristics, different potential also, because as 2004 Savio is great also for the club, because I'm working for the club, don't forget I'm working for the club.
All these players, they are not playing for the coach, they go to play for Tottenham, and Tottenham is more important than the coaches, the players and everything. So the policy of the club is clear, and now we have to be good like we have done to close this window for transfer market.
Speaking of young players for the future, could we see Luca Williams-Barnett tomorrow?
He comes on the bench. Listen my idea was to play with him as part of the second half in Brentford. Unfortunately it was not the right moment to put him from the bench, but I can't forget the young players.
I have big respect for the academy, and it's right, no gift, but it's right also for them, they deserve to have satisfaction from their young players, and these are potential big players for the club first of all.
Did you speak to Xavi about his time playing with Savinho in PSV and if so what did he tell you?
They are very close as friends. They are two big players. I love this type of player. Xavi I think in the future will become very important for this club.
Andy Robertson made his debut on Saturday, but what does he offer away from the pitch and in the dressing room?
I have a very good relationship with Andy. I think he is playing well. Normally after a long time in the same club, and Liverpool, is not so easy for him to understand the environment, the new city, the new dressing room, the new coach, the new people inside because the training ground is like home for the players. It’s like family. To change family or to change the training ground, dressing room is not so fast to understand.
I believe in him as a player, as a guy. I want him to show his personality. We need his mentality as a winner because we have to get used to winning games and games and games. We have to change habits in the last two seasons.
What have you said to Lucas Bergvall after Saturday's performance?
I hug him and he knows. He already knows he didn’t play a great game. But this game for Bergvall, Gray, Mathys Tel, also Mikey Moore, is the right step to become better and better. Because you want the young players on the pitch yes but the young players they have not experienced. What is their experience? To explain the experience you have to pass through this day and these types of games. You have to lose or be stronger the next time you play one game like Brentford. It’s a normal step. Maybe one or two together is better than four together but I know the reason because Bentancur came the first week of August, Mateus Fernandes suffered an injury, Pedro Porro was an injury, but all together it’s tough as a game.
But when I said I am calm and positive it’s not because the coach has to say it’s positive. No, because it’s not the Tottenham true yet. We have to find the conditions to become a team quickly and we started the project right now. Not last season. Last season we fought to stay up and this season has started and to become better is not like this (clicks fingers). Maybe, I hope, I want, I’m working for that but to become a team is different. We have to work in the connections, in the relationships, in the style of play, to find a soul as a team and we didn’t show any of these characteristics on Saturday.
Dominic Solanke has had a lot of fitness problems since you were here and before, but how important can he be for you?
He is another important player, but we stay up with Richarlison last season. Richarlison also I love him but he has to play much better than Brentford. In Brentford every one of us we made mistakes and we were wrong in the game. Me as the first always but for us, the number 10 and especially when the opponent defend man-to-man, we need the striker to keep the ball, defend the ball and give us the time to go up, but Solanke is another very important player.
How do you value this competition and do you understand how important it is to the fans?
Carabao? For me it is like Premier League. I can’t and we are not in the condition to make differences. There is a game, we have to play well and get used to winning the game and the matches. And matches – not match. Matches, one, two, three and four. We have to change the mood and we can yes, because we already did last season. Six games, three wins, two draw and one defeat in Chelsea in the last six and I heard last season we can’t win the game because the last game we won was in December.
Yes, I know but I think also the environment has to change and the players and people has to change this mentality. It is a challenge and when I said we have to become a team, I am speaking about this because the quality of the players we had already in Brentford enough for sure to play much better and do much better. I don’t know if to win, but to do much better. Archie Gray, JP, van Hecke, Senesi, Robertson, Tonali, Lucas Bergvall, Gallagher, Richarlison, Mathys Tel, I think are good players all of them.
The last big game at the stadium was the Everton match and you looked out at the fans in the South Stand, what was going through your mind then?
I have great memories about all last season. Six games, seven games but very, very important for me and I remember very well everything. I am working now keeping in my head what I felt last season because anyway I came without responsibility for the what they did before, but if we are relegated last season, I in this moment anyway would work in Tottenham and for that now it is a big opportunity for us, for me but I think when we are the Tottenham with the characters that I said, I think we can do something special. That I am sure.
