How concerned should big-spending Tottenham be after winless and goalless start to Premier League season?

It has been a winless and goalless start to the new Premier League season for big-spending Tottenham.

Last weekend’s 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest saw Spurs fail to have a shot on target for the first time in a league game in over four years as they battled to their first point of the season.

Roberto De Zerbi’s new-look side are yet to click after a £332m summer outlay which saw 10 new players arrive.

Having made their worst start to a league season since 2008, Spurs go in search of their first victory on Saturday as they host Everton, live on Sky Sports.

Here, Sky Sports News’ Tottenham reporter Michael Bridge answers your questions, while we also look at the stats behind their start and hear your thoughts on their opening three league games…

Michael Bridge answers your questions…

Spurs94: How concerned are you about the start to the season?

“I’m not concerned. It’s only three games, and Spurs would’ve taken a draw at Nottingham Forest. It’s a hard place to go under a very good manager in Oliver Glasner.

“I was at the Brentford game where Spurs were well beaten. I can fully appreciate that Tottenham being under-prepared is unacceptable, so I’ll flip it round and say Brentford gave Spurs a good hiding and they fully deserved their win.

“Newcastle could have gone either way, but Spurs weren’t clinical enough. But the reason why I’m not concerned is that it’s still so early in the season.

“The last three games have shown me a little bit of a realisation that you can’t expect it all to click so quickly when there have been so many incomings and departures.”

Tony H: Is De Zerbi losing control after coming out and complaining about his medical team after the Forest draw?
Dave Perryman: Do you think it’s wrong for De Zerbi to publicly criticise his players and medical staff?

“De Zerbi absolutely did not have any complaints about the medical team. He’s working closely with the medical team.

“Let’s not forget that in the last couple of seasons Spurs have suffered an injury crisis, with key players missing an entire season.

“Tottenham Hotspur have worked hard over the last few months to ensure that this doesn’t happen again, including an investigation which looked into whether the pitch had a bearing on such serious injuries.

“To clarify, De Zerbi doesn’t want to take players off at certain minutes, but he’s instructed to do so by his medical staff.

“He’s not challenging them or being divisive. He’s working alongside them. They are ensuring that De Zerbi has these players for the long term to hopefully prevent situations like Mohammed Kudus and James Maddison from occurring again.”

Spurs4Life: Why are the Spurs fans getting on De Zerbi’s back? Do they not remember the rocky start Mauricio Pochettino had?
Rich: How much pressure must there be on De Zerbi to get it right?

“If it wasn’t for De Zerbi, there’d have been a very high chance Tottenham would be in the Championship right now.

“Spurs have given De Zerbi the keys to mould the squad how he sees fit. I’m of the opinion that he has earned the right to have those keys.

“He has made tough decisions, including allowing Luka Vuskovic to go to Brighton and to bring in Jan Paul van Hecke for a big fee despite him having a year to go on his contract.

“I must reiterate, it’s three games in. For me, the start of the season for Spurs can be seen as post-transfer window.

“I think we won’t see the real Spurs until maybe even November because there have been so many changes: new captain, new forward line, new midfield, new defence. It takes time.”

Brad Taylor: What are Spurs actually aiming for this season? Top four to six? Top half? Survival?
Dan: Based upon a much slower start to our campaign, would a mid-table finish be more realistic?

“With the outlay, you have to expect that they must finish in European places.

“It won’t be made public, but the aim must be to get back into Europe.

“Now, of course, when I say Europe, ideally it’s the Champions League. But even if it was Europa League football, people are now more aware than ever that additional home fixtures generate revenue.

“Brad, in my personal view, mid-table is the very least they should be aiming for.”

The stats behind Spurs’ winless start

Spurs are aiming to avoid unwanted history on Saturday – if Everton keep a clean sheet, then it will be the first time Tottenham have failed to score in their first four league games of a season.

Their struggles in front of goal are a result of a lack of quality chances created.

Despite ranking mid-table for shots attempted in the Premier League this season, Spurs are bottom for expected goals (xG) per shot, as you can see below.

Spurs’ overall xG is the third lowest, while only Coventry have underperformed their chances more than Spurs, which you can see below.

Since the start of last season, the average xG per game by a Premier League side is 1.41, but Spurs are yet to reach that average return for xG in any game under De Zerbi.

One of the Italian’s issues has been a lack of consistency in his attacking selections. De Zerbi has started with three different attacking combinations in all three league games this season and has used 10 different starters across his front three in his 10 league games in charge.

And it is not just the front line where De Zerbi has faced selection issues. Tottenham have made eight changes to their starting XI in the Premier League this season, the most of any side and their joint-most in the first three games of a campaign in the competition.

Spurs’ running stats are another alarming area of concern this season.

Tottenham were only outrun once in De Zerbi’s seven games in charge last season as they dramatically escaped relegation on the final day. This season, however, Spurs have been outrun in every game.

In fact, they rank second-bottom for distance run and 16th for sprinting distance in the Premier League this season, having been in the top five under De Zerbi last season.

Higher physical output, improved threat and better attacking quality are all needed to kickstart their season.

Your views on Spurs’ start…

RichN: I think it’s mad to expect a team with nine or 10 new players, nearly all first 11 players, to gel straight away. It’ll take time. Also, still having our previous most creative players in Kudus, Kulusevski, Simons and Maddison either still out or not match fit is a huge handicap for De Zerbi.

Russ K: After the money that has been spent on assembling De Zerbi’s ‘Dream Team’, we should have made a stronger start than what we have. No goals in the first three games is a real cause for concern. We need a goal scorer, and for me, Troy Parrott would have been an excellent addition.

Mitch L: Not too concerned at all; can see improvement at times game by game. Forward line just needs to click and will come in time. Savio is refreshing to see, very direct and will get us goals through his play. Think one or two goals and confidence is back, and we see them kick on.

dbuk1: It’s not concerning at all. We have had a big turnaround of players for the first time in my living memory at Spurs. It’s been three games, and we still haven’t got a fully fit squad. Everyone calm down and give it time!

LF: Not concerning at all. We have signed a number of players who need time to gel. We also have a number of players still returning from long-term injuries who, once fit, will bolster the squad. Mikel Arteta had five to six seasons to get Arsenal where they are now, so give De Zerbi time!

THFC-TrustTheProcess: In the first two games, we were missing attacking players. Savio, Maddison and Kulusevski all out, and Kudus only on the bench after missing pre-season. The expected goals in the last game were miles better than what we produced for most of last season. Just need to start taking our chances. No need to panic yet!

SLB110890: I said when we had Frank, Rome wasn’t built in a day! We have 10 new players and got rid of a load of players who only managed to help us just about avoid relegation. To get all those players to gel instantly is unrealistic; be patient and let the Italian build Rome.

Jmzrc: I support Brighton, so I’m familiar with De Zerbi’s approach. As Lewis Dunk has said, it took time for players to work out the system and what was expected, but when they did, we were flying. De Zerbi is a system manager, so I think Spurs will be strong once the new players bed in. Be patient.

Imran: The lack of creativity in the team concerns me. Any player with it is injured. Can’t see Spurs scoring enough goals

Steven Davids: To make so many changes in a short space of time and expect instant results isn’t realistic. Patience and support are what the club needs. Better results and performances will come.

Hadcarr: It’s concerning but not surprising. A group of individuals will take time to gel into a team. All Spurs can hope for this season is mid-table.

Dwilliams: At the moment I’m not too overly concerned. Yes, the lack of attacking threat in the last few games hasn’t been ideal. Let’s not forget that this time last season we had beaten Man City 2-0 and were near the top, so a lot can change.

Bravo31: We don’t seem any better than last season, defence unsure, no midfield flair or aggression, and no one as an out-and-out goal scorer. Concerned!!

timm900: It’s far from an ideal start, especially considering how much money has been spent, but with the amount of players that have been brought in, it’s bound to take a little time to gel. If it hasn’t markedly improved after 10 games, then it’s time to panic.

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