Roberto De Zerbi could eventually spend close to £400 million rebuilding Tottenham Hotspur, but Spurs’ first Premier League game of the season delivered a painful reminder that money alone cannot fix a losing mentality.
The Italian manager was brought in during March with one immediate task: keep Tottenham in the Premier League. He was given just seven games to save the club from relegation and managed to do so, although Spurs only secured their top-flight status with a final-day victory over Everton.
Now, with the club determined to avoid another disastrous campaign, De Zerbi has been given significant financial backing to reshape the squad.
But the opening-day defeat to Brentford was hardly the fresh start Tottenham had hoped for.
Instead, it raised familiar concerns about a team that has finished 17th in the Premier League in each of the past two seasons.
Spurs’ New Era Looks Uncomfortably Familiar
There was plenty of excitement among Tottenham supporters before kick-off at the Gtech Community Stadium. New signings were welcomed enthusiastically, and there was genuine belief that De Zerbi’s rebuild could mark the beginning of a new era.
By the end of the afternoon, however, that optimism had disappeared.
Spurs were overwhelmed by Brentford from the opening stages and collapsed as soon as the pressure intensified. By the time Michael Kayode made it 3-0 in the 49th minute, some Tottenham supporters were already heading for the exits.
The scoreline could have been even worse. Brentford striker Igor Thiago hit the post from the penalty spot, but that miss offered little comfort to a Tottenham side that had been outplayed in almost every department.
De Zerbi admitted afterwards that the performance was simply not good enough.
“Bad game. We lost and suffered the difference in the duels,” he told BBC Sport’s Match of the Day. “We didn’t fight in the right way.”
That admission will concern Tottenham more than the result itself.
De Zerbi’s Biggest Job May Be Psychological
De Zerbi previously acknowledged that his role during the final stages of last season was as much psychological as tactical.
Against Brentford, he appeared to face the same challenge all over again.
The manager blamed a lack of physical preparation among some players, particularly those who had returned late from the World Cup, as well as the difficulties of integrating several new arrivals.
There is some justification for those concerns. Tottenham’s squad contains a number of new faces, while several players were not at their physical best.
But De Zerbi refused to use that as an excuse.
“We can’t find an excuse,” he said. “We are starting a new project and we couldn’t find the principle.”
That is perhaps the most worrying part of the defeat.
Tottenham did not simply lack sharpness. They lacked resilience, aggression and belief. Brentford appeared to sense that vulnerability almost immediately and relentlessly attacked it.
Big-Money Signings Unable to Change the Story
De Zerbi handed competitive debuts to Andrew Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Sandro Tonali.
None managed to make the impact Tottenham supporters had hoped for.
Tonali, who reportedly cost around £100 million after moving from Newcastle United, was particularly subdued as Brentford’s Mamadou Sangare dominated the midfield battle.
The Italian’s most memorable moment came when he sent a first-half effort high over the goal, prompting Brentford supporters to question whether Spurs had spent their money wisely.
Matheus Fernandes, signed for around £85 million from West Ham United, was introduced from the bench, while further reinforcements such as Savinho and potentially Omar Marmoush could strengthen the squad.
Yet that is not necessarily De Zerbi’s biggest concern.
Players can improve with time. Fitness can be built. New signings can settle.
Mentality is much harder to change.
Brentford Showed Spurs What They Were Missing
The contrast between the two sides was stark.
Brentford competed for every ball, won important physical battles and played with confidence. Tottenham, by comparison, looked hesitant and vulnerable whenever Brentford increased the intensity.
Keane Lewis-Potter opened the scoring after 12 minutes, although Brentford had already threatened before the breakthrough.
Vitaly Janelt then doubled the advantage before half-time, leaving De Zerbi visibly frustrated on the touchline.
Tottenham struggled to respond. Their players looked increasingly desperate, while Brentford grew in confidence.
Even the half-time substitutions of Conor Gallagher and Lucas Bergvall could not change the direction of the game.
The problem was not simply tactical.
It was the absence of the fight required to recover from adversity.
De Zerbi himself pointed to Brentford’s mentality as an example Tottenham must follow.
“Their spirit on the pitch was great,” he said. “It has to be the right example for us.”
This Is About More Than One Defeat
Every team can have a bad opening day.
Even clubs with serious ambitions occasionally suffer embarrassing defeats at the beginning of a season. Tottenham still have a long campaign ahead of them and plenty of time to improve.
But the manner of this loss makes it difficult to dismiss.
Spurs have endured too many seasons in which one setback has quickly turned into a collapse. That pattern has damaged confidence and created an environment in which defeat can become almost expected.
De Zerbi now has to break that cycle.
His predecessors have also struggled to find consistency. Ange Postecoglou at least delivered Europa League success, while Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor were unable to provide the long-term stability Tottenham desperately needed.
Now De Zerbi has the opportunity to build something different.
But that rebuilding process cannot simply involve signing more expensive players.
Tottenham Need a Cultural Reset
The lesson from Brentford is clear: Tottenham’s problems cannot all be solved in the transfer market.
De Zerbi has already been given substantial financial backing, and more arrivals may still follow. But the manager must now find a way to make his players mentally stronger.
They need to compete harder, respond better to setbacks and develop the belief that conceding the first goal does not mean the game is already lost.
That will require coaching, leadership and time.
Most importantly, it will require a cultural change.
The new Tottenham may have a new manager, new players and a new transfer strategy, but at Brentford they looked alarmingly similar to the team that struggled last season.
De Zerbi does not necessarily need another revolution in personnel.
He needs to change the mentality.
And after such a painful opening-day defeat, he needs to start doing that quickly.
