“We will not panic,” Roberto De Zerbi said after Tottenham were beaten 0-2 at home by Newcastle on 29 August. He apologised to fans, admitted the performance needed work and pushed back on any talk of a full-scale rethink after back-to-back league defeats.
De Zerbi's message after the loss
De Zerbi's line was clear enough. He said he was sorry for the result and argued that trying to change “two seasons like the last two” in 10 days was impossible, especially with so much movement in the transfer market. He also told supporters to stay calm and focus on improvement.
Tottenham vs Newcastle left Spurs bottom of the Premier League, with 0 points after the defeat. That is a poor start for any club, but it looks harsher when the summer spend reached £320m.
De Zerbi did not pretend the performance was clean. He said Tottenham were better until the first goal, then added that the team lost ball possession in the first half because they did not defend in the right way and the distance between defenders and attackers was too big.
Newcastle's goals and Tottenham's problems
Newcastle's win came through Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa. Elanga scored in the 62nd minute and Wissa added the second in the 72nd, turning a tight game into another frustrating afternoon for Spurs.
The wider concern for Tottenham is not just the scoreline, it is how little control they had once the game opened up. De Zerbi said the defensive phases can improve, but the problems were already there before Newcastle's second goal arrived.
The next league match will tell us more about whether this patience call holds up, but the immediate reality is simple: Tottenham are bottom after two defeats, and De Zerbi is still asking for time after a £320m summer.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
