De Zerbi says Tottenham are not ready as Richarlison, Danso and Sarr seek exits

Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi says his side are still not ready to compete at the required level, but insists their opening defeats by Brentford and Newcastle do not represent the true quality of the team.

Tottenham suffered a second consecutive Premier League defeat on Sunday, losing 2-0 to Newcastle United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The result leaves them bottom of the table without a point, while Newcastle move up to third with four points.

De Zerbi said he understood the frustration among Tottenham supporters but rejected suggestions that the club were repeating the problems of the previous two seasons.

“I am disappointed with the result, and I feel sorry for the fans and the atmosphere, because after two defeats some people may think the story is repeating itself and that what is happening is the same as in the past two seasons,” he said.

“But I do not doubt for a moment that this is not the case. I cannot change my opinion after only two defeats.”

Tottenham were beaten 3-0 by Brentford in their opening league match before losing to Newcastle, but De Zerbi believes his team performed better than their opponents for much of the latest game.

“I feel sorry for the club because they are working to build a very strong team, but perhaps we are not ready yet, for many reasons,” he said.

“Nevertheless, I think that today, until the first goal, we were better than Newcastle.”

The Italian identified defensive gaps as a key reason for Tottenham’s struggles before Newcastle took control.

“We suffered a lot in two or three situations during the first half because there was too much distance between the forwards and the defenders, with large spaces,” De Zerbi said. “After we conceded, I think we lost confidence.”

Egypt international Omar Marmoush made his first appearance for Tottenham since joining from Manchester City and played the full match.

De Zerbi also explained the absence of Savinho, who missed the game because of injury.

“Savinho was absent because of an injury. After the press conference, the medical staff came to me and told me that he did not feel well and had a slight muscle problem,” he said.

The manager then revealed that three players had expressed a desire to leave Tottenham. Richarlison has said several times that he wants to depart, while Kevin Danso told De Zerbi two days ago that he also wanted to move on. Pape Matar Sarr has made the same request, although he is recovering from a minor injury and is close to returning to training.

“I love these players, and they are great people. I have very good relationships with them,” De Zerbi said.

“But if they want to leave, they must provide the right financial offer for the club. After that, they can leave and we will look for other players.”

Tottenham have spent 354m euros so far during the summer transfer window in an effort to strengthen the squad, while player sales have brought in 165m euros. Their spending has therefore come under renewed scrutiny after the club’s winless start.