‘sunderland Made Us Suffer’: De Zerbi Desperate To Boost Spurs’ Confidence

Roberto De Zerbi diagnosed a deficiency of assurance arsenic nan guidelines origin of Tottenham’s ills aft his first lucifer arsenic head ended successful a 1-0 conclusion astatine Sunderland. The consequence leaves Spurs successful nan relegation zone, 2 points adrift of 17th pinch six games remaining.

“We didn’t merit to lose,” said De Zerbi aft a lucifer decided by Nordi Mukiele’s deflected second-half winner. “We played a bully game, but possibly not bully capable to win.

“I cannot opportunity thing to nan players because they gave their champion successful position of cognition and spirit. We tin play amended but my activity is not truthful overmuch connected nan transportation arsenic mental. They are each bully guys and I consciousness sorry for them. I want to springiness them nan assurance they need.”

Cristian Romero (left) leaves nan section successful tears aft colliding pinch his Tottenham teammate Antonin Kinsky. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

As Tottenham’s 3rd head of an progressively troubled play seeks nan team’s first convention triumph since precocious December, De Zerbi could now beryllium without his captain, Cristian Romero, who faces scans connected a knee wounded sustained during a second-half collision. “I don’t know,” De Zerbi’s said erstwhile asked astir Romero’s prognosis. “Hopefully it’s not excessively bad. We request him to decorativeness nan season.”

Confidence proved a recurring taxable of nan Italian’s post-match reflections arsenic he suggested fearfulness of relegation was haunting his players. Spurs are 18th and big De Zerbi’s erstwhile broadside Brighton connected Saturday. “We don’t person nan assurance to show our value and play awesome football,” he said. “The players will play amended erstwhile they are emotion confident. I’m judge if we are capable to triumph a crippled everything will change. This is simply a reliable infinitesimal for everyone and we person to respond pinch nan correct spirit.

“We didn’t play good capable to triumph this game, Sunderland made america suffer, but we tin play better. I would for illustration to thief nan players show what they tin do. My occupation is not to alteration nan style of play, nan important portion is confidence. I person to beryllium positive. When we triumph a crippled we tin commencement to alteration different things.

“The players are each suffering, they are suffering possibly excessively much. We person to find nan energy. I judge successful their qualities. We person to enactment close, to enactment affirmative and to judge successful our work. For maine arsenic a coach nan intelligence portion is very important now. If we triumph a crippled everything will beryllium different.”

Régis Le Bris was alternatively little troubled aft his broadside moved into nan apical half. “We were a spot sloppy for nan first 15 minutes but aft that we were good,” nan Sunderland head said. “We still person room for betterment successful nan last third, we tin beryllium a spot much clinical, a spot much efficient, but nan force wasn’t beardown capable to hit america truthful I wasn’t excessively worried we didn’t get a 2nd goal.

“I consciousness nan players are ambitious. A top-10 decorativeness is simply a bully purpose for america this season.”