Bottom of the Premier League after £334m splurge: De Zerbi admits 'I've never seen a team like us, so fragile and inconsistent'
Tottenham's record-breaking £334m summer has not bought them a fast start. Five games into the new Premier League season, Spurs sit bottom of the table with two points and just two goals — and head coach Roberto De Zerbi admits he has never coached a side so brittle.
Record spend, rock-bottom return
Inevitable expectations followed when Spurs went big this summer — bigger than they've ever gone before. Their £334m outlay sat them behind only perennial big spenders Chelsea and Manchester City across the transfer window. But any dreams of a swift return to the halcyon days at the top were always going to be tough to reach in the short term, as many clubs have found after a significant turnover of players.
Even allowing for the patience required, sitting bottom of the table with two goals and as many points from their opening five games is miles below par — and Spurs and De Zerbi's greatest concern is that the issues are more than just teething problems.
'So fragile and inconsistent'
"In my 14 years as a coach, I've never seen a team like us, so fragile and inconsistent," De Zerbi said after their 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa.
For all the money spent, there is still no sign of a Spurs backbone. They are approaching two years since they last conceded first and went on to win, and the pressure of even playing at home remains a problem — their lavish stadium has seen more Beyonce concerts than home wins over that same period.
Big money, meagre output
Given the £85m outlay on Savio and a future £60m commitment on Omar Marmoush, fans and De Zerbi would hope for far more than the worst xG per shot of any team in the Premier League — and just two consolation goals in that Villa defeat.
With the quality brought in, and flashes already on show, things will improve, and three uninterrupted weeks on the training ground during the international break will do the likes of James Maddison the world of good. But after comfortably the biggest spend in their history, the lingering worry that Spurs still have so many areas left to address is not a problem fans had anticipated facing just five games into this new era.