De Zerbi: The Project Is Just Beginning, We Need to Stay Calm

Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi commented on the 0-3 defeat to Brentford in their opening Premier League match.

"I'm sorry for the result, I'm sorry for our performance, for the players, and for our fans. But I knew even before the game, I knew since last Saturday when we played Hoffenheim, that we weren't in the necessary physical condition for a number of reasons. The players returned from the World Cup, joined pre-season training late in Australia, where we didn't have enough time to work properly. But that's no excuse. Our starting lineup today was very young, but it should have been enough to compete differently," De Zerbi stated.

"We lost too many duels. We couldn't find the right moment for a high press. I think this is a sad day for us – I'm disappointed with the result and the performance, but we need to analyze this defeat intelligently," the Italian specialist added.

"We mustn't lose confidence. We mustn't lose what we built last season. We need to improve, yes, we need to show more than we did today – individually and collectively. But overall, we need to stay calm because the project is just beginning, and I believe we are working well. We need to remain composed and focus on what needs improvement. I think we are all in the right situation to build something special – perhaps not immediately, we need time, but I'm sure we are on the right track," De Zerbi concluded.