Roberto De Zerbi issued an apology after Tottenham Hotspur endured a disappointing start to the new Premier League campaign, suffering a comprehensive 3-0 defeat away to Brentford. The result exposed a number of weaknesses in De Zerbi’s newly assembled squad, with the Tottenham manager admitting that his players failed to compete at the required level and made too many costly mistakes throughout the match.

Speaking after the game, De Zerbi accepted responsibility for the poor performance and expressed his disappointment with the result. He acknowledged that Tottenham were far from their best and admitted that the team still has a considerable amount of work to do before it can operate effectively as a unit.

“I am sorry for the defeat,” De Zerbi said. “We didn’t play well. We played very badly. We are not a team yet for many reasons.”

The Italian manager pointed to both physical readiness and tactical organisation as areas that require significant improvement. However, he was careful not to use those shortcomings as excuses, explaining that such difficulties are understandable during the early stages of a new project, particularly when a large number of new players are attempting to adapt to a different system and to one another.

According to De Zerbi, Tottenham are still at the beginning of a rebuilding process. He admitted that he had expected difficulties against Brentford, although he did not anticipate such a damaging scoreline. Despite the setback, he insisted that he remains confident in his players and believes they can develop into a much stronger side with sufficient time and experience.

The Tottenham line-up included several new arrivals making their competitive debuts for the club. Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andrew Robertson were all introduced to Premier League football in Tottenham colours, highlighting the scale of change within the squad.

De Zerbi stressed that creating a successful team involves more than simply bringing talented individuals together. He believes the players must develop a strong connection, shared mentality and collective identity before Tottenham can consistently compete at the highest level.

“We are trying to build something good,” he explained. “There are steps to become better. Now, the target is to become a team.”

For De Zerbi, the process of becoming a genuine team depends heavily on two key elements: developing a collective spirit and establishing a clear playing style. He had already identified those priorities before the Brentford fixture, saying that Tottenham first needed to learn how to fight together and understand exactly how they wanted to play both with and without possession.

Against Brentford, however, neither quality was evident for long enough. Tottenham struggled in physical battles, lost too many individual duels and repeatedly gave the ball away in dangerous areas. Their lack of cohesion allowed Brentford to take control and punish defensive mistakes.

“We didn’t show the soul or the quality of play, with or without the ball,” De Zerbi admitted.

Nevertheless, he suggested that the defeat could eventually prove useful if his players learn from the experience. He believes Tottenham can become a dangerous side once they develop the necessary understanding and intensity. Until then, he expects the squad to experience difficult moments as they adapt to his methods.

“When we find these, we can become dangerous against every team,” De Zerbi said. “Until we reach them, we have to suffer, and today can be an important defeat. Maybe we will wake up stronger.”

One of the tactical decisions that attracted attention was De Zerbi’s decision to replace Lucas Bergvall and Conor Gallagher at half-time. Bergvall had been involved in the build-up to Brentford’s second goal after losing an important challenge, but De Zerbi was keen to make clear that the substitution should not be interpreted as a punishment for the young midfielder.

The Tottenham boss defended Bergvall and suggested that the player’s mistake was part of his development. He argued that experiences like this can help young footballers mature and make better decisions in future matches.

“Lucas didn’t play badly even though he was substituted,” De Zerbi said. He added that, with more experience, Bergvall would be unlikely to make the same mistake in a similar situation.

Brentford, meanwhile, enjoyed an impressive afternoon and demonstrated the cohesion that Tottenham are still trying to develop. Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt and Michael Kayode were all on the scoresheet, while Igor Thiago missed a penalty for the home side.

Brentford manager Keith Andrews was particularly pleased with the performance of his players. He admitted that there is always some uncertainty before a competitive Premier League match, especially when a team has recently made changes to its squad, but he felt Brentford adapted well to the intensity of the occasion.

Andrews was also full of praise for Mamadou Sangare, who made his Brentford debut and immediately made a strong impression. The manager credited the club’s recruitment team for completing the transfer despite significant interest from other clubs.

Sangare, according to Andrews, settled into the squad quickly and demonstrated both energy and technical quality. His attitude was also praised, with the Brentford manager describing the young player as humble, motivated and eager to succeed.

The contrasting performances highlighted the difference between a settled team and one still undergoing major reconstruction. Brentford appeared comfortable with their responsibilities, while Tottenham looked disjointed and uncertain during important moments.

For De Zerbi, however, the opening-day defeat is not necessarily a sign that his project is destined to fail. Instead, he sees it as a painful but potentially valuable lesson. Tottenham now have the task of transforming a collection of new players into a united side capable of competing consistently.

The defeat has exposed several problems, but it has also given De Zerbi a clear indication of what needs to change. Physical conditioning, organisation, defensive discipline, competitiveness and attacking cohesion will all need to improve.

Ultimately, the Tottenham manager accepts that building a successful team will take time. His immediate priority is not simply to chase results but to establish the identity, spirit and playing philosophy required for long-term success. The loss to Brentford was a harsh introduction to the new campaign, but De Zerbi hopes it will serve as a wake-up call and motivate his players to respond positively in the matches ahead.