Roberto De Zerbi is under increasing pressure at Tottenham Hotspur following Saturday’s defeat to Aston Villa, with questions now being raised about the mood in the Tottenham dressing room.
Tottenham Hotspur divisions deepen after Villa defeat
De Zerbi took aim at the team’s “fragile and unstable” nature after a defeat that left them bottom of the table ahead of the international break, and was particularly critical of summer signing Mateusz Fernandez after the decision to withdraw midfielder Mohamed Kudus at half-time.
“Mateus is different from Kudus,” he said. “I have a lot of confidence in Matthaus, but I didn’t like his performance today. It’s not an attack on him because I love him. I just want more from him, even in that position.”
Meanwhile, Matisse Terre is not even in the team and De Zerbi explained that he simply did not have space for the Frenchman: “A technical decision. He is in the stands because I think in the game, Maddison and Kudus, they have more opportunities to change the game, then the two centre-backs and, importantly, the two full-backs, look at Pedro Polo, Archie Gray and the two midfielders.
“But I explained the reasons to Mattis yesterday. It’s no problem. He’s nice and he understands the reasons, but that’s it and he plays more than the others.”
The pair had previously argued on the pitch following the draw with Everton, and Jan-Paul van Herk’s comments this week will only add fuel to the fire as the rift within the squad appears to be growing.
“It couldn’t be worse,” the Dutchman said, before appearing to criticize Andy Robertson’s decision to let the ball play ahead of John Manzambi’s opener.
“You know you’re down to ten men. So the smart thing to do is kick the ball out so you can wait until Mitch comes back. You say to each other: ‘Come on, kids. We’re better.’ And then you just give it all up.”
While De Zerbi is not thought to be in any immediate danger, Tottenham’s hierarchy are determined to back him through his rebuild, but pressure is mounting and there are concerns about the mood of a team that looked beaten when Villa took the lead on Saturday.
It’s Tottenham’s worst start to the Premier League season after five games.
Next up after a three-week break is a tricky trip to Manchester United, who themselves are desperate for results amid pressure from the manager, and Football Insider has shared an update on the state of management at both clubs.
Tottenham keen on Brighton boss Huzzele
In fact, Tottenham and Manchester United are both “very keen” on Brighton boss Fabian Huerzeller and he could be open to a move to a “top club”, according to former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown.
“Huzzele will be on the radar of any top club in the Premier League or the world who need a new manager,” Brown told Football Insider. “He’s been fantastic at Brighton and helped them achieve the results they’ve had over the past few years and he’s been fantastic again this year and they’re now up to third in the table.
“So I have no doubt that some of these top clubs are very keen on him and I hear that obviously includes the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. “I would be surprised if that’s what they want to do in the near future, I don’t think any club wants to change their manager at the start of the season.
“But if they do decide to pull the trigger, Huzzele will be high on their list because he’s always highly rated in those circles. After what he’s done at Brighton this season, it might be difficult to move him out of there because they’re very happy with him and he seems happy there.”
“But if a top club comes calling, they might be able to test Brighton’s resolve and potentially lure him away.”
How good is Hezler?
Huerzeller continues to win praise across the league, with Mikel Arteta describing the job he did at the Amex ahead of Brighton’s 3-0 win over Arsenal as “outstanding”.
The Seagulls have performed well in domestic competition, finishing third in the league with 16 goals, the most in the top flight.
Herzel PL Records | Statistics |
|---|---|
matches | 81 |
victory | 33 |
lottery | 25 |
loss | twenty three |
Number of goals – number of opponents | 134-110 |
integral | 124 |
points per game | 1.53 |
Liverpool veteran James Milner’s comments when the German first arrived at the Amex may go some way to explaining Tottenham’s interest, especially if the club’s hierarchy are indeed concerned about the mood around Tottenham Road.
“I was very impressed with the work he did, the message he delivered, the great training sessions and the person he was.”
What’s more, the 33-year-old has an excellent head-to-head record against Tottenham.
date | competition | Home | result | leave |
|---|---|---|---|---|
18/04/2026 | Premier League | tottenham hotspur | 2-2 | brighton |
20/09/2025 | Premier League | brighton | 2-2 | tottenham hotspur |
25/05/2025 | Premier League | tottenham hotspur | 1-4 | brighton |
June 10, 2024 | Premier League | brighton | 3-2 | tottenham hotspur |
Who else has Tottenham been linked with?
That’s not Tottenham’s only managerial issue this week. De Zerbi and Michael Carrick are both currently considered safe, but with the teams set to face off against each other when club football resumes in October, failure for either side could be decisive.
FFC revealed in an exclusive on Monday that Tottenham and Manchester United are also keeping an eye on Kieran McKenna, with the 40-year-old linked with both clubs on a number of occasions in recent years.
FFC sources understand that McKenna is willing to wait for Celtic to be contacted by a “big six” club and is even willing to give up some compensation fees in order to complete the deal for the right project.