MusaRoberto De Zerbi has openly expressed his frustration with his Tottenham players following their disappointing 1-0 defeat to Leeds United at Elland Road, questioning the team’s character, mentality and inability to compete when it mattered most.
Tottenham had travelled to Yorkshire with renewed confidence after securing three consecutive victories against Coventry City, Chelsea and Crystal Palace. Those results had provided a much-needed lift following their difficult start to the 2026-27 campaign, raising hopes that De Zerbi was beginning to turn things around in north London.
However, their impressive run came to an abrupt end as Noah Okafor struck in the 79th minute to hand Leeds all three points and leave Spurs frustrated. The defeat also means Tottenham have dropped to 10th place in the Premier League table.
Although much of the post-match discussion centred on the controversial decision to spare Jayden Bogle a red card following his dangerous challenge on Mathys Tel, De Zerbi was more concerned about his players’ overall performance.
The challenge left Tel unable to continue, forcing Tottenham to make a substitution, while the subsequent VAR review failed to result in the Leeds defender receiving his marching orders.
According to BBC Sport, Tottenham are prepared to submit a formal complaint to Pro Ref over the incident, with the club believed to be unhappy with the decision made by referee John Brooks and the VAR officials.
Nevertheless, De Zerbi refused to allow the controversial officiating decision to become an excuse for his team’s disappointing display. Instead, the Italian manager delivered a brutally honest assessment of his players, insisting that they failed to demonstrate the personality and courage required to compete against Leeds.
Speaking after the final whistle, De Zerbi did not hide his disappointment.
“We won no duels, no one-to-ones. There was space to play and we didn’t take the right decisions. We didn’t show personality or what we are, who we are. It’s a part of the journey. It’s not an excuse and it can be normal in football but we have to be honest.
“If you are not honest today, the future is not good. If we analyse our second-half behaviour honestly, then I think we can become a top team. We have the physicality and the quality, but it’s not just about the physicality game. We didn’t show character, personality or courage,” he explained.
The Tottenham manager also admitted that his players possessed enough quality to produce a much better performance at Elland Road, suggesting that their biggest problem was not a lack of ability but their failure to maintain the required standards.
De Zerbi added that his squad might still need time before they can consistently deliver performances at the level expected of them, particularly against physically demanding opposition.
“My players have the ability to come here, play better and maybe win. But maybe we are not ready yet to be consistent for many games in a row. We know where we have to work and improve.
“I was surprised by the second half as my players worked very well this week. We spoke all week about the intensity and the type of game we would find here in this stadium, so it was not a surprise for us.”
Meanwhile, De Zerbi also addressed the controversial refereeing decisions involving Bogle and Tottenham defender Pedro Porro, questioning the consistency of John Brooks’ officiating throughout the encounter.
The Italian was particularly unhappy with the decision to show Porro a yellow card for his challenge, drawing comparisons with the incident involving Tel earlier in the match.
“I was surprised because in the same position in the second half there were two different fouls. The yellow card for Pedro Porro is not possible. I don’t know if it is a red card or not on Mathys Tel, but the parameter of the referee was not good enough for this in both situations,” De Zerbi concluded.
For Tottenham, the defeat represents a disappointing setback after three encouraging victories had suggested that the team was finally finding some consistency.
However, De Zerbi’s post-match comments indicate that he believes there are deeper issues within his squad that must be addressed if Spurs are to establish themselves among the Premier League’s strongest sides.
Musa
