Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi apologised after his side suffered a crushing 3-0 opening day Premier League defeat at Brentford.
The Italian coach admitted Spurs did not fight in the right way, lost too many duels and made a lot of mistakes during a disappointing performance in West London. Goals from Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt and Michael Kayode earned Brentford a comfortable victory, while Igor Thiago missed a penalty for the hosts.
De Zerbi conceded Tottenham require significant improvement in both physical condition and organisation. Despite the set-back, he insisted he retains belief in his squad but warned that developing a cohesive team will take time.
"I am sorry for the defeat," said De Zerbi. "We didn't play well. We played very bad. We are not a team yet for a lot of reasons. We are not in the right physical condition, but these are not excuses, this is a normal situation when you are building a new project."
"It's part of our journey. Yes, I am surprised and I am suffering for this defeat. I expected for sure. I didn't expect this result, but I knew the problems we would find today."
Spurs debutants struggle in London derby
Five summer arrivals made their competitive debuts for Tottenham in the match. Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andrew Robertson all featured in the starting line-up as Spurs attempted to launch their new campaign.
Despite the integration of multiple new signings, De Zerbi emphasised that building a team requires chemistry alongside tactical understanding.
"We are trying to build something good," said De Zerbi. "There are steps to become better. Now, the target is to become a team. You become a team when players find a connection, find the spirit, and the soul."
"Before this game, when people asked me about targets, I said first we have to fight to become a team and the two biggest conditions are the soul and the style of play," De Zerbi added. "We didn't show the soul or the quality of play, with or without the ball."
"When we find these, we can become dangerous against every team. Until we reach them, we have to suffer and today can be an important defeat. Maybe we will wake up stronger."
Midfield substitutions and Bergvall mistake
Seeking to change the momentum, De Zerbi made a double substitution at half time, replacing midfielders Lucas Bergvall and Conor Gallagher. Bergvall was withdrawn after losing a vital tackle in the build-up to Brentford's second goal.
However, De Zerbi offered encouragement for the young midfielder after the final whistle. "Lucas didn't play badly even though he was substituted," said De Zerbi. "In two years' time he will not lose that ball in that moment of the game."
Tottenham Hotspur are one of the Premier League's established clubs in London, while Brentford continue to build their reputation in top-flight football. The defeat underlines the work ahead for De Zerbi as he aims to integrate new additions into a unified unit.
Keith Andrews praises Brentford cohesion
In contrast to Tottenham's struggles, Brentford manager Keith Andrews was delighted with his team's display. Goals from Lewis-Potter, Janelt and Kayode capped an impressive performance for the Bees on home soil.
"Pretty impressive on a lot of fronts," said proud Bees boss Keith Andrews. "You never truly know what you're going to get because intensity of Premier League is different to most friendlies, but I felt we were in good spot and the cohesion of the team was coming together nicely."
Andrews reserved specific praise for midfielder Mamadou Sangare, who produced an outstanding performance on his Brentford debut after joining the West London club during the transfer window.
"The club deserve a lot of credit for getting that deal done. There were a lot of clubs looking at Mamadou and we were keen to get that done," Andrews said.
"He has slotted in really well, adapted really well. You never know coming from a different league. He's a humble young man, and very hungry. You can see his attributes. Great energy and quality. I enjoyed his performance."
