Paul Merson warns Tottenham fans over Roberto De Zerbi’s public criticism of players and medical staff.
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has expressed serious concern over Roberto De Zerbi’s decision to publicly criticize his attacking players and medical department following Tottenham Hotspur’s 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest. Spurs ended the match at the City Ground without recording a single shot on target, extending their winless and goalless start to the Premier League campaign to three matches.
De Zerbi voiced frustration after the match, singling out his forwards for poor final-third decision-making and revealing he was “not happy” with medical staff enforcing 60-minute substitution caps on returning starters Sávio and Destiny Udogie.
Public Rift with Medical Staff Draws Chelsea Parallel
In his latest Sky Sports column, Merson argued that De Zerbi’s willingness to air internal grievances in front of media cameras should alarm Tottenham supporters. Merson emphasized that disagreements regarding sports science directives must remain behind closed doors rather than being used to shield tactical outcomes.
Outlining his concerns regarding De Zerbi’s managerial approach, Merson stated:
“Roberto De Zerbi had a go at his forwards after the game. He also had a go at his medical staff for dictating his substitutions. You say that in the dressing room; don’t come out and say it. You need to keep that in-house. That would worry me as a Spurs fan. De Zerbi does fall out with people. I don’t know if he’s covering himself there with those comments about the medical staff, because that could be kept quiet. He’s having a go at them, and you saw what happened with Enzo Maresca at Chelsea when he started calling out the medical team for dictating his substitutions. He left a few weeks later.”
While acknowledging that a manager has the right to protect his position when player availability is restricted, Merson insisted that challenging physical preparation protocols in public risks creating unnecessary friction within the football club.
Merson also questioned De Zerbi’s critique of his attacking players. The Italian manager had highlighted specific moments where Omar Marmoush, Mathys Tel, and Sávio chose to shoot or overhit crosses rather than picking out free runners like Andy Robertson and Dominic Solanke. However, Merson rejected the idea that Tottenham’s forward line failed due to individual wastefulness alone.
Addressing the team’s offensive output, Merson noted:
“I don’t understand having a go at the forwards, though. They didn’t have 20 chances. It’s not as if the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper was man of the match. I didn’t see that at all.”
Looking at Tottenham’s broader trajectory, Merson urged supporters and hierarchy to maintain realistic expectations following back-to-back 17th-place Premier League finishes. He stressed that turning around a club’s fortunes after two years of struggling near the bottom of the table requires patience, advising Spurs to focus on chasing fifth place rather than measuring themselves against established title contenders like Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal. As Tottenham prepare to host Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, establishing internal harmony across the coaching, playing, and medical departments will be vital to securing their first three points of the season.
