‘Void of leaders’ – The problems for bottom-side Spurs after winless start

When Aston Villa went 1-0 up in north London, it felt inevitable that Tottenham would head into the international break winless in the Premier League.

That’s because it has been nearly two years since Spurs have won a match after conceding the opening goal in any competition. Last month’s 3-2 home loss to Villa was the 47th game in this dismal run (D11 L36).

“It is a worry, certainly at home because that’s where you need the minerals,” former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood told a special Sky Sports Spurs podcast.

“That’s where you need the characters and leaders to come forward, and at the moment, they’re void of any leaders and characters.

“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.

“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.”

With Spurs accumulating the fewest points (18) among ever-present Premier League sides in 2026, Sky Sports News’ Tottenham reporter Michael Bridge aired his concerns over leadership too.

He said: “When Roberto De Zerbi chose his five captains [Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray], 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.

“How many of the players are really going to grab each other by the scruff of the neck?

“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.”

Sherwood unimpressed by new signings

A winless start to the Premier League season has left Tottenham bottom of the table, and their worst start to a Premier League season after five games has already raised questions over Spurs’ lavish summer spending.

So, have any of the 10 new players that cost over £330m impressed Sherwood?

“No, no one,” he insisted. “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. 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 lack of success from Spurs’ signings before this summer worries Sherwood about the latest recruits.

“Probably the last four or five years, the track record of Tottenham signings has not been fantastic,” he said.

“It’s been a very long time since they’ve made a decent signing. 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.”

He added: “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 (Heung-Min) Son – and we’re going way back there! We’re talking about a real success.

“Maybe (Dejan) 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.

“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.”

‘Spurs still need a striker’

With Spurs having scored just two league goals, the spotlight for Bridge is on Omar Marmoush to deliver.

The summer signing from Man City is yet to score in his first five Spurs appearances in all competitions, having missed one big chance and had two shots on target from his 10 attempts.

Bridge said: “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 [with Eintracht Frankfurt].

“But can he do it consistently for Tottenham Hotspur, where he’s going to be given a clear run of games.

“Were Tottenham right to spend as they did on Savio and Marmoush? So the jury’s going to be out with these players.”

With Dominic Solanke struggling for form and Richarlison frozen out against the backdrop of Spurs academy graduate Will Lankshear scoring freely in the Championship, Spurs’ firepower is a problem.

Bridge said: “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.

“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.”

Is De Zerbi under pressure?

Tottenham aim for their first league win of the season at Manchester United on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.

But should their winless run continue, then Roberto De Zerbi would become just the second Spurs boss in Premier League history to fail to win any of the opening six games of a campaign.

Juande Ramos was the first, and he was sacked after Spurs had two points from eight games. But both Sherwood and Bridge are confident that De Zerbi will not follow the same fate as the Spaniard.

Ex-Spurs boss Sherwood said: “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 said: “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.”

But what has to change is Spurs’ bouncebackability in games if De Zerbi is to ensure the pressure does not mount.