Tottenham’s struggles should not be blamed solely on head coach Roberto De Zerbi, according to former Spurs scout Bryan King, who believes senior figures at the club must also take responsibility.
Speaking to Football Insider, King pointed towards Tottenham CEO Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange as key figures who should face scrutiny over the team’s disappointing start to the campaign.
Spurs were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool, extending their winless run to four matches. De Zerbi’s team have also endured a difficult beginning to their Premier League campaign, with no victories and no goals scored in their opening league matches.
Tottenham invested more than £400 million on 10 players during the summer transfer window, but the team have continued to show some of the same weaknesses that affected them previously.
With difficult Premier League fixtures against Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea approaching, pressure around the club is expected to increase.
King believes it is unfair to place all the responsibility on De Zerbi and argues that attention should also turn towards the structure and recruitment decisions made above him.
“I just think it reflects on the people who are running the football club. Lange and the other fellow who came from Arsenal,” King told Football Insider.
He also questioned whether Tottenham made enough changes behind the scenes, suggesting that similar problems have remained despite several managerial changes.
King pointed to the club’s recruitment and their handling of certain players as further areas of concern, arguing that Tottenham’s problems go beyond the current manager.
“It’s easy to blame the manager, De Zerbi, but I think you’ve got to look at the people that actually gave him the job,” he said.
“I just feel that it’s far too easy to blame De Zerbi. Don’t. I think you’ve got to start looking at what’s behind De Zerbi.”
De Zerbi’s relationship with club leadership could also become an important storyline. During his time at Brighton, the Italian left the club after disagreements with the board over its strategy and direction.
Earlier this year, De Zerbi stressed the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with the board and ensuring everyone involved in the project shares the same vision.
With Tottenham still searching for their first Premier League win and goal, scrutiny is now growing not only on De Zerbi but also on the club’s senior decision-makers.
