Roberto De Zerbi has revealed he was coaching Mathys Tel on how to play as a striker after being seen berating the Tottenham forward at full-time in their goalless draw with Everton. The Italian manager walked onto the pitch immediately after the final whistle and engaged in a tense exchange with Tel, who stood with his arms on his hips.
Tottenham's winless start to the season continued on Saturday evening as Everton held them to a 0-0 draw in north London. The result means Spurs have failed to win any of their opening four league matches and have now gone over six hours without scoring a goal. It is the first time the club have failed to score in their first four league games of a season.
De Zerbi explains his on-pitch coaching
Speaking in his post-match press conference, De Zerbi explained the incident: 'I was coaching him on the pitch. The body shape, he is a striker, the striker will play with his shoulder on the goal (side). If we are playing with Maddison, Kudus and Savinho, he has to play as a striker. And the striker has to look at the goal, no? Or on the cross of Robertson.'
The former Bayern Munich starlet was brought on after the hour mark to replace Dominic Solanke, who was ineffective up front. However, the change did little to inspire De Zerbi's attack, which managed just two shots on goal in the entire match.
De Zerbi added: 'Because he started as a striker. Now he is playing as a winger but he started his career as a striker. But I love Mathys as a player, as a guy. There is not a problem.'
Redknapp's scathing assessment
Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp was highly critical of the hosts' performance, describing it as 'diabolical'. Speaking on Sky Sports, Redknapp said: 'After spending £300m, I didn't think there would be a problem scoring goals.'
He continued: 'I thought that they might struggle to win games, a few teething problems, but I thought with the players they've got in midfield…surely they have goals in this team. To not score in the Premier League in six hours of football is absolutely diabolical, whatever way you look at it.'
Redknapp acknowledged some improvement in defence, noting: 'They defended better today, the centre-backs were better than what they had been. But there was just not enough. How can you not score in six hours of football? They have not got the right balance in the team. There are so many problems to solve in a game just to score a goal.'
Impact and next steps
Tottenham's goal drought now stands at over six hours of Premier League football, with the team yet to register a win this season. De Zerbi's side will need to address their attacking issues quickly, with the manager emphasising the need for Tel to adapt to a central striking role. The club's £300m investment in the squad has not yet translated into goals, leaving the manager with significant tactical decisions ahead of their next fixture.
