Sherwood blames Brentford boss after Spurs’ costly opening loss

At the Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford’s 3-0 victory over Spurs left manager Roberto De Zerbi visibly frustrated, a scene captured in a Shutterstock picture that summed up a night of disappointment for the Italian coach who had invested heavily in new signings.

Sherwood's blunt assessment

Tim Sherwood, former Tottenham manager and player, said the buck stops with De Zerbi after the club’s huge investment in its squad. He added that the responsibility lies with the manager and the players for the poor performance.

Spurs started the Premier League season in nightmare fashion, being hammered 3-0 at Brentford in their opening game. Despite the heavy defeat, there was plenty of optimism among the fanbase after big‑money signings over the summer.

The summer window saw Brentford spend £100 million on Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, £85 million on Mateus Fernandes from West Ham and £52 million on Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton. High‑profile free transfers also arrived, with Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi joining, while Savinho and Omar Marmoush were expected from Manchester City before the window closed.

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Sherwood told that it was difficult to blame the hierarchy because they had brought the players in for De Zerbi and acted early to avoid early‑season issues. He emphasized that “the buck stops with the manager – and the players, by the way.”

De Zerbi defends his side

Sherwood, who played 118 times for Tottenham and managed them in 2013/14, praised De Zerbi’s previous work at Tottenham but criticised the lack of hard‑working traits in the Brentford side, saying they failed to run, fight, win second balls and headers.

De Zerbi responded after the loss, acknowledging that “we are not a team yet for a lot of reasons.” He cited physical condition, late returns from the World Cup and a need to improve duels, second balls and tackles, insisting he still believes in his players and the club.

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The exchange highlights the pressure on De Zerbi to translate Brentford’s substantial spending into results, while Sherwood’s comments underline the scrutiny the club faces after a disappointing start to the Premier League campaign.