Tottenham look destined for relegation after losing Roberto De Zerbi’s first game
Roberto De Zerbi looks on as Spurs lose again - Scott Heppell/Reuters Tottenham Hotspur have tried to change things with three different managers this season, but the stench of relegation still clings to this team. In fact, they stink of it. With six games left, it could prove too stubborn for Roberto De Zerbi to shift after another drab performance led to a deserved defeat in his first game in charge.
Tottenham are a weak team, mentally and physically. They do not look dangerous in attack, are lightweight in midfield and do not look likely to keep clean sheets. It is a poisonous mix.
They are a group that is low on confidence that has been playing badly for months. Two managers have tried and failed to change their direction of travel, but all the signs still point to playing Lincoln City next season. Spurs have won one game in their last 11 – a Champions League second leg against Atlético Madrid – losing eight.
Spurs players react after going behind at Sunderland - Scott Heppell/Reuters There has been no new manager bounce, no magic wand has been waved and there was very little improvement in anything Spurs did against Sunderland . Régis Le Bris’s side were sharper, stronger and more organised throughout. They looked like they wanted it more and that is the most damning takeaway for a team in Spurs’ predicament.
De Zerbi negotiated a deal that makes him one of the best-paid managers in the Premier League. The Italian will have to earn every penny if he is going to save Tottenham from the ignominy of the Championship next season. After all the talk of the positive impact he has made on the training ground, despite all the dubious praise he has given to the players he inherited, this was a sharp and painful reminder of their limitations.
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