Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge of Tottenham Hotspur ended in a 1-0 defeat against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
The North London outfit were comfortably second best on the night and currently find themselves in the relegation zone, two points below 17th-placed West Ham United and three behind Nottingham Forest.
Ahead of the game, reports emerged from local journalists that the Tottenham players were blown away by De Zerbi’s training methods. However, they couldn’t walk the walk and succumbed to another Premier League defeat.
To make matters worse, Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris has made a brutally honest confession that goes to show just how easy Tottenham have been to beat this season.
Sunderland ‘not worried’ about Tottenham
Tottenham started the game well and created a handful of half-chances in the opening 15 minutes. However, as the game went on, their frailties on both ends of the pitch showed as Nordi Mukiele finally broke the deadlock in the second half via a deflection.
Speaking after the game, Le Bris claimed his players were a little bit anxious at the start as the away side showed flashes of brilliance.
However, as the game went on, the Sunderland boss felt he believed his side would come out on top, adding that he wasn’t ‘greatly worried’ about the threat posed by Tottenham due to their recent form.
“At the start, I felt that a little. We lost the ball in build-up and lacked composure early on,” said Le Bris in his post-match press conference.
“But at halftime, I made it clear that ‘this game is up to us.’ I thought that if we played in an organized, consistent and composed way, we would have a chance to win.”
“The opponent was not strong enough to beat us. So I was not greatly worried. Of course, football is football. It is still an unpredictable sport.
Read More: Tottenham player ratings vs Sunderland as Roberto De Zerbi gets harsh relegation reality check
“If you don’t score a second goal, something can happen at the end. But that composure has improved gradually over the season.”
The Sunderland boss also laid bare Tottenham’s problems as he appeared to suggest that they are a group of individuals rather than one cohesive unit.
Le Bris added, “Tottenham have players with good individual ability, but as a team they are struggling to find a rhythm. Today, we felt we were controlling the game from the starting whistle.”
No lies detected
Truth be told, the gulf of class between the two sides showed in the second half as Sunderland took control of the game.
De Zerbi made a raft of changes to turn the tide in his favour, but it only made things easier for the hosts as they comfortably saw off the game.
Read More: 3 things Roberto De Zerbi got wrong in his first game in charge of Tottenham
Le Bris’ comments perfectly reflect how the game transpired at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland well and truly deserved to walk away with three points.
Tottenham’s problems are growing with every passing game. They are already in the relegation zone and teams around them are starting to pick up points.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, so no one expected a complete turnaround in the first game. However, with just six games to go to save Tottenham’s Premier League status, De Zerbi already has an axe wielding over his head.
