Alan Shearer pins Tottenham's fragility on De Zerbi as relegation threat looms

Alan Shearer told Match of the Day that the "fragility and weakness" of Tottenham Hotspur is directly linked to manager Roberto De Zerbi, whose decisions have left the club perilously close to the Premier League relegation zone after Saturday’s defeat.

Saturday’s missed opportunity

Spurs entered Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa a point ahead, meaning a win would have lifted them four points clear of the Villans. Instead, Villa, who had not won a game beforehand, surged 3-0 before Tottenham rallied to 3-2, leaving the London side in 19th place.

The loss not only erased the gap but also saw Villa leapfrog Tottenham, intensifying speculation about De Zerbi’s future at the club.

Shearer’s analysis of the squad

Shearer highlighted that six of the eleven starters were players signed by De Zerbi, adding, "There’s definitely a fragility and weakness about them. In the last 48 games, when they’ve gone behind, they’ve failed to win any of them." He argued that this pattern reflects the manager’s responsibility to reverse the trend.

Despite the harsh assessment, former striker Shearer stopped short of calling for an immediate sacking, focusing instead on the need for change.

Inside sources, including transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, countered the rumours, stating that Tottenham remain confident in De Zerbi. Romano said, "Tottenham decided to back Roberto De Zerbi in the summer by trusting his ideas… the message from Tottenham, as of today, remains a message of confidence in Roberto De Zerbi."

Romano noted the club’s ambitious but imperfect transfer window, citing the missed target Cody Gakpo and the reality that “no club completes the perfect market.” He added that the board recognises the process will be gradual and not an instant shift from 17th place to Champions League contention.

Both Shearer and Romano agreed that expectations differ across the club, yet the current consensus is that De Zerbi still has the backing of the hierarchy, even as the pressure mounts.