De Zerbi and Spurs Hit by Badly Timed International Break
Tottenham's players leave for three weeks after a £400m summer spend, and a column says De Zerbi has had too little time to build a team from his new signings.
Tottenham's players have gone on international duty for another three weeks, and BBC Sport and Yahoo Sports published pieces arguing the break could hardly have come at a worse time for Roberto de Zerbi.
The club spent around £400m on new players this summer. The outlay, almost unprecedented for a club with a reputation for careful investment, raised hopes among some supporters of a top-four finish and a run at trophies after Spurs finished 17th in two successive seasons.
They have lost four of five league games. Weak home form and an inability to recover after conceding the first goal have defined the campaign. De Zerbi faces no immediate pressure, having kept the club up last season. He has had no time to knit the new signings together, and most are now on international duty.
He returns to a squad he has barely worked with.
About this article
Prepared by the editorial team with the help of algorithms, based on the sources listed