Tottenham's inability to recover from conceding first has become a defining weakness, with the club now facing a crisis of character and direction after their worst Premier League start in years. When Aston Villa took the lead in north London last month, it seemed almost inevitable that Spurs would enter the international break without a league victory, continuing a pattern that has haunted the club for nearly two years.
The scale of the problem is staggering. Tottenham have now gone 47 matches without winning after falling behind in any competition, a run stretching back almost two years. That sequence includes 11 draws and 36 defeats, with last month's 3-2 home loss to Villa representing the latest chapter in this dismal narrative. According to ESPN, after five league matches Tottenham remained 20th with just two points, having drawn twice and lost three times.
Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood has identified a troubling absence at the heart of the problem: a lack of genuine leaders capable of galvanising the team when adversity strikes. Speaking on a special Sky Sports Spurs podcast, Sherwood outlined the fundamental issue facing Roberto De Zerbi's squad.
It is a worry, certainly at home because that's where you need the minerals. That's where you need the characters and leaders to come forward, and at the moment, they're void of any leaders and characters.
Sherwood went further, suggesting that no player is taking responsibility for turning matches around once Spurs fall behind. The absence of vocal, commanding figures in the dressing room and on the pitch has become a critical weakness.
I'm not sure there's anyone really losing their head or galvanising the players to try and arrest it, which is a poor trend, in not fighting back from losing positions.
While acknowledging De Zerbi's evident passion and commitment, Sherwood stressed that leadership must come from within the squad itself, not solely from the technical area.
The manager is. He certainly looks like he doesn't lack in any passion. But you need that within the pitch and within the dressing room and within the training pitch every single day, and I'm not sure the characters are there.
Questions over captaincy structure
Sky Sports News' Tottenham reporter Michael Bridge has echoed these concerns, pointing to potential weaknesses in De Zerbi's leadership appointments. When the manager selected his five captains—Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray—Bridge noticed a significant omission that troubles him.
When Roberto De Zerbi chose his five captains, and I asked him in the press conference, Andy Robertson wasn't one of the five. Archie Gray was, but Archie Gray's not going to be in the team much, so I am a little bit worried about leadership in that camp.
Bridge questioned whether the current squad possesses enough players willing to take charge during difficult moments on the pitch.
How many of the players are really going to grab each other by the scruff of the neck?
The reporter acknowledged that while Cristian Romero may occasionally overstep the mark with his aggression, there is a need for more of that commanding presence across the team. The balance between discipline and leadership intensity remains elusive.
Cristian Romero maybe went too far in terms of aggression, but there were times when you did want him on your side, so I need to see a bit more aggression from some of these players as well.
Summer signings fail to impress
Tottenham's winless start has already cast doubt over the club's lavish summer spending, with ten new arrivals costing over £330m. Yet Sherwood remains unconvinced that any of these recruits have justified their investment so far.
No, no one. I can't say anyone's really impressed me, and anyone would have done a better job than anyone who was there last season. They've underachieved, they really have.
Sherwood emphasised that individual performances cannot be separated from collective failure. With the team losing matches, no player can claim credit for their contribution.
We always judge on results, so I don't look at any individual player and think, 'Well, you're coming out of some credit here', because the team's losing, and I'm not sure there's been any outstanding performers.
The former Spurs boss expressed deeper concern about Tottenham's transfer record over the past five years, suggesting that the club's ability to recruit effectively has been questionable for some time.
Probably the last four or five years, the track record of Tottenham signings has not been fantastic. It's been a very long time since they've made a decent signing.
Sherwood stopped short of calling the new arrivals poor signings, but stressed that they have yet to prove their worth at the club. Time remains for them to develop and show what they are capable of achieving.
Now, I'm not saying they're poor signings; I'm saying that they haven't done it yet, and there's still a lot of time to be able to get some confidence and show what they can really do. We've seen them in fits and starts and little cameos for other teams, but it's a different kettle of fish playing for Tottenham.
Looking back at Tottenham's recent transfer history, Sherwood identified very few genuine successes. Son Heung-min stands out as a rare example of a signing who has delivered consistently at the highest level, though even that success came years ago.
I've seen more nos than yeses at the moment over the last five years in the transfer market. I think the best signing they've made in recent history would have to be Son - and we're going way back there! We're talking about a real success. Maybe Kulusevski, but then he's picked up the injury. But other than that, I can't say there have been too many outstanding successes in the transfer market.
Sherwood placed responsibility on De Zerbi to develop the squad and transform players who have shown promise elsewhere into genuine contributors at Spurs.
But it's up to Roberto De Zerbi to develop them players, and hopefully some of these players we've seen in recent years can be unrecognisable.
Striking concerns dominate
With Tottenham having managed just two league goals across their opening matches, the focus has shifted to Omar Marmoush, the summer signing from Manchester City. The Egyptian forward has yet to register a goal in his first five appearances across all competitions, despite being given opportunities to make an impact.
Marmoush's record in the early stages has been underwhelming. He has missed one significant chance and registered two shots on target from his ten attempts, suggesting that clinical finishing remains a work in progress.
I think the one for me is Omar Marmoush. How good is this guy? I really liked glimpses of him for City, but they were only glimpses; clearly a very talented player. He really showed it in the Bundesliga. But can he do it consistently for Tottenham Hotspur, where he's going to be given a clear run of games.
Bridge questioned whether Tottenham made the right decision in their investment strategy, particularly regarding the spending on both Marmoush and fellow summer arrival Savio.
Were Tottenham right to spend as they did on Savio and Marmoush? So the jury's going to be out with these players.
The situation has been compounded by the struggles of Dominic Solanke, who has failed to find form, and the continued absence of Richarlison from the team. Meanwhile, academy graduate Will Lankshear has been scoring regularly for Middlesbrough in the Championship, raising questions about whether Spurs have the right attacking options.
I think they need a striker - an actual number nine - but how many are there out there? It doesn't help that Will Lankshear is scoring every week for Middlesbrough because he looks like a proper old-fashioned centre-forward and he's young and English. That's my worry.
Bridge also raised concerns about goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, questioning whether the club's investment in the young shot-stopper represents a long-term solution.
I'm also not one hundred per cent sure if Antonin Kinsky is a Tottenham number one for years to come. If you've spent that amount of money and you still need, for me, a goalkeeper and a number nine, then there's still a way to go.
De Zerbi's position remains secure
Despite the alarming start, both Sherwood and Bridge believe Roberto De Zerbi is unlikely to face the sack in the immediate future. The manager has been backed substantially in the transfer market, suggesting that the club's hierarchy retains confidence in his vision.
I'm not sure he's under pressure because they've given him everything he wanted, so they must have full trust in him. He's proven that he's a very good Premier League manager, albeit he's never been at a club the size of Tottenham Hotspur, with the scrutiny which is upon the club, but he looks like a character who can handle that scrutiny, and he just needs a win.
Bridge echoed this assessment, noting that De Zerbi's contract situation and the club's long-term planning suggest stability at the managerial level.
I don't think Roberto De Zerbi is under much pressure at all. He was tracked by the club for some time. He's on a very good and long contract, and unless he's the one that initiates the departure, I don't see any change for the foreseeable.
However, history provides a cautionary tale. Should De Zerbi fail to secure a win in Tottenham's opening six league matches, he would become only the second Spurs manager in Premier League history to achieve such an unwanted milestone. Juande Ramos was the first, and his tenure ended in dismissal after the club accumulated just two points from eight games.
The critical issue for De Zerbi is reversing Tottenham's inability to bounce back from adversity. Until the team demonstrates the character and resilience to recover from conceding first, the pressure will continue to mount, regardless of how secure his position currently appears.
What comes next
Tottenham will attempt to secure their first league victory of the season when they visit Manchester United on Saturday, with the match broadcast live on Sky Sports. According to Tottenham's official fixture list, kick-off is scheduled for 5:30pm UK time on 10 October.
Following that crucial encounter, Spurs' next home league fixture sees them host Coventry City on Monday 19 October at 8pm UK time. The sequence of matches ahead will be vital in determining whether De Zerbi's squad can turn their season around and begin to justify the significant investment made during the summer transfer window.
According to recent match records, Tottenham's opening five league results included a 0-0 draw with Everton, a 0-2 loss to Newcastle and the 2-3 home defeat by Aston Villa, establishing a pattern of inconsistency that must be broken if the club is to salvage their campaign.
