What’s gone wrong for Spurs after a summer of spending big?

After finishing 17th two seasons in a row, the Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy finally decided it was time to spend big money in an effort to restore the club as one of the so-called Big Six.

Spurs, who were very nearly relegated last term, were in need of a big boost in quality. But after spending well over £250 million, Roberto De Zerbi’s side sit bottom of the table after five games played. So, what’s gone wrong?

Losing has become a habit

It’s fair to say that even after two seasons of struggle, nobody, including Premier League football betting odds, would have suggested that Spurs would have been rock bottom of the table already. After five league games played, they’ve drawn two and lost three, and this raises questions about mentality.

After two seasons of losing a lot of games in the Premier League, has losing, or not winning, become a habit, ingrained within the mindset of the club and those inside it? It’s difficult to break a habit, especially a bad one, and so far, Spurs are still trying to do so.

Lack of potency in attack hasn’t been resolved

Spurs have splashed the cash on Savio and Omar Marmoush this summer to strengthen their forward line, moves that football transfer betting indicated were highly likely to happen, with Mykhailo Mudryk also arriving on loan. While Mudryk is currently out injured, what all three were brought in to do is add potency to what has often been an impotent attack. However, Spurs failed to score a single goal in their first four Premier League outings, only breaking their duck last time out against Aston Villa in a 3-2 defeat.

What Spurs have is a plethora of wide players, a couple of real number 10s when fit, but they continue to lack a focal point in attack who can help link it all together and get on the end of chances created. While Dominic Solanke is a proven goalscorer at this level, he’s spent a lot of time out injured, and there’s no backup option, with Richarlison ousted from the squad by De Zerbi.

A team devoid of confidence

When a team isn’t winning and isn’t scoring, confidence and belief suffer. And that’s evident in Spurs’ performances on the pitch. Last time out against Aston Villa, heads dropped further with every goal conceded, as Unai Emery’s side established a 3-0 lead by 79 minutes played.

There didn’t appear to be much belief in the team, especially after dominating the early exchanges, that they could get back into the game. Conor Gallagher, who came on as a substitute, scored in the 86th minute, but again, Spurs didn’t look like a team that believed a comeback, of course highly unlikely at that point, was even remotely possible.

Final thoughts

Maybe what Tottenham Hotspur need, like many clubs, is time. In time, the players should get used to what manager Roberto De Zerbi is asking of them tactically; the new signings should be fully integrated, fitness levels should be up, and performances and results should improve as a result. However, after spending several hundred million and handing De Zerbi a lucrative long-term contract, how much time do Spurs and De Zerbi really have to get things moving in the right direction?