De Zerbi: Tottenham players are good lads and are suffering at this moment

Tottenham's new manager, Roberto De Zerbi, admitted that the fear of relegation could be an issue for the club, yet he remained positive following their 1-0 defeat to Sunderland in the 32nd round of the Premier League. The Italian took charge of his first match against Tottenham at the Stadium of Light, with his team entering and finishing Sunday's game in the relegation zone after West Ham secured an expected victory over bottom-placed Wolverhampton.

"If you ask me, I am 46 years old. I have much more experience than the players, and I am absolutely positive because I know them as individuals and as players. That's why I'm positive, not just because we are Tottenham. They possess enough quality to win a match. The goal now is to win one game, because if we win a game, we can see everything differently.

Firstly, the Tottenham players are good lads, and they are suffering at this moment. They are not happy when we lose a match, nor are they happy to see Tottenham at the bottom of the table. But we need to find the energy; we need to find the right spirit to be positive.

You can't win a match on paper; you have to win by showcasing quality on the pitch, by fighting on the pitch. You have to score a goal and certainly not concede. But they are human and perhaps suffering too much. Overall, we need to stick together, be positive, improve in the details, in our football, but also improve our mentality," De Zerbi stated.