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Roberto De Zerbi has come out in strong support of Sandro Tonali after the Italian midfielder suffered a difficult home debut against his former club. The £100 million signing was singled out by the travelling supporters and found it hard to settle into the game as Tottenham slipped to a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Newcastle.

De Zerbi stands firmly behind his record signing

De Zerbi has declined to blame Tonali despite the midfielder’s tough opening spell in North London. The Italy international, who became Spurs’ first-ever nine-figure signing this summer, found himself under intense attention during the 2-0 defeat to Newcastle. Having been rested for the midweek cup win over Charlton in an effort to improve his physical condition, Tonali appeared short of sharpness and was partly at fault for Anthony Elanga’s opening goal before he was taken off in the 75th minute to cheers from the away fans.

In spite of the criticism, De Zerbi made it clear that his backing for the player has not changed. "No, I love Sandro Tonali," De Zerbi said after the match. "Today is the day where my emotion for my players is bigger than the other days because we are building together the club, Vinai (Venkatesham), Johan Lange, the owners, me and they (the players) are like our children. So, this day is so sad. We are all of us very disappointed for the result, but I love my players more today than the next win we will make. I believe more than the Brentford game of our project, I believe in our players."

Fitness concerns and tactical integration

Questions over Tonali’s fitness are still hanging in the air, particularly as he had appeared in pre-season friendlies against Chelsea, Getafe and Hoffenheim. De Zerbi admitted that the former AC Milan and Newcastle player is still not performing at his highest level, but stressed that he remains a central figure in this reshaped Spurs side. The manager is also trying to integrate several important players who rejoined the squad late after international duty and injury absences, making his early tactical work even more complicated.

"I think (Omar) Marmoush for the first game played very well," De Zerbi explained. "It was the first game for Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro, they came late and they are crucial for this team, after the World Cup, after two injuries. Sandro Tonali is another crucial player. He is not in the right condition, in the best condition yet, maybe physically."

A recurring mentality problem at Spurs

Beyond Tonali’s individual difficulties, De Zerbi is also dealing with a wider issue over the way his side responds when things go wrong. Tottenham have now lost every match in which they have conceded first during the Italian’s brief spell in charge, and that pattern stretches back to before he arrived. The numbers are stark: it is necessary to go back almost two years to November 2024 to find the last time Spurs conceded first in the Premier League and still managed to win. That mental vulnerability was visible as soon as Newcastle moved ahead through Elanga.

De Zerbi spoke candidly about the absence of resilience in his team’s response. "After the goal we conceded, I think we lost the confidence. The reaction was not good enough," he admitted. "Not the reaction I want to see on the pitch and I said immediately after the end of the game, to the players, because when you are building something new, it’s tough, there are problems."

Building for the future amid early pressure

Pressure is already increasing on the Spurs manager after back-to-back defeats at the start of the new Premier League season. After a major summer spend, expectations are high for immediate progress, but De Zerbi has cautioned that a winning culture cannot simply be purchased. The manager is evidently concentrating on the longer-term plan, seeing his players as part of a family that must be shielded during this early period of development, even while Tonali’s £100m fee ensures he remains under constant outside scrutiny. "You can’t buy winning mentality in the transfer market," De Zerbi said, underlining the intangible traits he believes are currently lacking in the dressing room.