A Strong Response from Roberto De Zerbi
Roberto De Zerbi has responded to criticism following Tottenham’s 2-1 victory over a significantly changed Aston Villa team. The win was crucial for Spurs as they continue their battle against relegation, especially with Villa making seven changes from their Europa League semi-final first leg match against Nottingham Forest.
The poor performance by Villa led to strong reactions from the media, with talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan calling it a “disgrace” and expressing sympathy for 18th-placed West Ham. However, De Zerbi questioned why there wasn’t similar criticism towards Nottingham Forest’s rotated team in their 3-1 win at Chelsea on Monday.
De Zerbi pointed out, “Yes, but for Nottingham Forest no? Nottingham Forest, the first XI was maybe (containing) more changes than Aston Villa, no? And (the) first half (was) 2-0 for Nottingham Forest – and (has) anyone said nothing (sic)? No.”
He highlighted that Aston Villa had key players such as Matty Cash, Victor Lindelof, Tyrone Mings, Ian Maatsen, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Jadon Sancho, Ross Barkley, and Tammy Abraham in their starting XI. De Zerbi noted that the team had more players missing compared to Villa, including Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus, Dominic Solanke, Xavi Simons, James Maddison, and others.
“I think it is better if the people speak about us than we speak about them,” De Zerbi added.
When asked if the fallout was a surprise, De Zerbi said, “No, in Italy we are used to thinking in the bad way about this situation, but it is not true. It is not true.”
Joao Palhinha’s Impact and Future
Joao Palhinha played a vital role in the win against Villa, and ahead of Monday’s match against Leeds, De Zerbi confirmed he wants to keep the Bayern Munich loanee. Palhinha joined last August on a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent for a fee of 30 million euros.
De Zerbi stated, “Yes, 100 per cent. We have to start from this type of people. More than players, we need reliable people, reliable players. Palhinha is one of the best, as a player for sure, but as a guy (also). I want to see the player with the same passion, the same attitude, the same spirit, the same personality. And we are lucky to have with us Palhinha.”
Injury Updates
Tottenham remains without Guglielmo Vicario due to a hernia, but Dominic Solanke, who has a hamstring injury, is not ruled out of the Leeds clash. James Maddison has been on the bench for the last three fixtures after a serious knee injury, and De Zerbi remained cautious about his availability.
“No, Vicario is not ready yet,” De Zerbi explained. “I’m thinking about James Maddison because I’m watching a top, top player. Maybe he’s not ready yet to play, but as a physical condition, not for the rhythm, for the intensity of the game. We are playing in the Premier League, the most difficult league in terms of intensity and rhythm.”
Regarding Solanke, De Zerbi added, “He’s improving very quickly. I don’t know, for this game, I don’t know if he can be available. We hope for the next game (Chelsea).”
