Charlie Austin says there is no proof in the pudding for Tottenham's manager. Spurs are bottom of the Premier League after five league games, with 2 points, a goal difference of -6 and a 0-2-3 record, and Austin argued that the record does not suggest Roberto De Zerbi can turn this around.
Austin's case against De Zerbi
Austin's criticism is built around the manager's record and the mood around the dressing room. Speaking to teamtalk.com, he asked, "What, in his managerial record, has he done to think he’s going to turn this around?" He was even more pointed on goal.com, saying, "Spurs fans, do you have the belief in him, because what has he shown at other clubs that he can turn Spurs around, and get them where you think they should be? Because there's no proof in the pudding."
He also questioned whether the squad are ready to respond for him, adding on teamtalk.com: "Tell me the players in that Spurs dressing room that are going to run through a brick wall for him. I’m not seeing it, and I think the proof’s in the pudding after these five games."
The results make the argument hard to ignore. Tottenham have scored only 2 league goals and conceded 8 so far, and Spurs have taken 2 points from their last 5 league matches, including the 3-2 loss to Aston Villa and the 0-2 home defeat to Newcastle.
The club view and the next fixtures
TEAMtalk says Tottenham remain fully behind De Zerbi and see him as the man to turn the season around. The same report says the summer outlay did not make this an easy fix, and that the project needs time.
Those fixtures are arriving quickly. Tottenham go to Manchester United on 2026-10-10, then host Coventry on 2026-10-19. If the team do not pick up points soon, the pressure around De Zerbi will only get louder by the time those games come round.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
