adminPaul Merson has admitted he is concerned by Roberto De Zerbi’s decision to publicly discuss Tottenham Hotspur’s medical staff following Saturday’s frustrating 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest.
Tottenham earned their first Premier League point of the season at the City Ground, but their attacking problems continued as they failed to register a single shot on target. The result also extended Spurs’ wait for their first league goal of the campaign.
However, it was De Zerbi’s post-match comments about his medical team that particularly caught Merson’s attention.
The Italian revealed that summer signing Savio and Destiny Udogie were withdrawn after around an hour following advice from Tottenham’s medical department. De Zerbi admitted that he was unhappy because the decision disrupted his plans and affected the team’s momentum.
Merson believes those frustrations should have remained behind closed doors.
Merson concerned by De Zerbi’s comments
Writing in his Sky Sports column, Merson said he would be worried by De Zerbi criticising both his attacking players and members of the medical team publicly.
Merson’s view was particularly strong on the medical issue. He argued that disagreements between a manager and members of his backroom staff should be dealt with internally rather than discussed immediately after a match.
The former Arsenal midfielder believes De Zerbi should “keep those comments in-house” rather than publicly pointing towards the medical team when explaining his substitutions.
Merson also questioned whether the comments could be a sign of deeper problems developing behind the scenes at Tottenham.
‘I thought Spurs were fortunate’
Merson was also critical of Tottenham’s performance against Forest and admitted that he thought Spurs were fortunate to leave Nottingham with a point.
The former England international pointed to Neco Williams’ disallowed goal and suggested that Forest could have taken all three points had Williams been more decisive in the crucial moment.
Merson said: “I thought Spurs were fortunate against Nottingham Forest – if Neco Williams is a little bit braver, then Forest win. But it’s a start for them.”
The controversial Williams goal was ruled out after VAR determined that the ball had struck the Forest defender’s hand or arm before crossing the line. Later footage appeared to support the decision, although the incident remained heavily debated after the match.
Merson questions criticism of Tottenham’s forwards
Merson also took issue with De Zerbi’s assessment of Tottenham’s attacking players.
Following the draw, De Zerbi criticised his forwards for failing to make better decisions in the final third. The Spurs boss admitted that his team needed greater composure when approaching dangerous areas.
But Merson believes the problem is more complicated than simply blaming the forwards.
Tottenham have now gone three Premier League matches without scoring and failed to produce a shot on target against Forest. Despite spending more than £300 million during the summer transfer window, Spurs are still struggling to create a consistent attacking threat.
Merson therefore believes De Zerbi needs to find solutions quickly rather than allowing frustration to spill over into public criticism of individual players or members of his staff.
De Zerbi faces pressure to turn things around
The former Arsenal star’s concerns come at a difficult moment for De Zerbi.
Tottenham have invested heavily in rebuilding the squad, but their opening three league matches have produced no wins and no goals. Their performance against Forest was more encouraging defensively, but the lack of attacking quality remains a major concern.
De Zerbi himself has acknowledged that Spurs are still developing as a team following a major overhaul of the squad. He has called for patience, insisting that new players need time to develop understanding and chemistry.
Nevertheless, Merson’s warning highlights the pressure already surrounding the Italian.
For the Tottenham manager, the priority now is to get his team scoring, while also ensuring that any disagreements with the medical staff or players are resolved internally rather than becoming another source of headlines.
With Spurs preparing for their next Premier League fixture against Everton, De Zerbi will be desperate for his side to finally deliver the attacking improvement that has been missing since the start of the campaign.
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