Roberto De Zerbi admits Tottenham cannot maintain his high-intensity style for 90 minutes as fitness issues continue to impact Spurs’ performances.
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi has delivered an honest admission regarding his side’s fitness levels, confirming that Spurs are currently not in the physical condition required to execute his high-intensity tactical system for a full 90 minutes. Speaking in the aftermath of Tottenham’s goalless draw against Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Italian manager offered an apology to supporters while explaining why his team’s tempo drops noticeably after strong initial periods.
As reported by Last Word On Spurs on X, De Zerbi emphasized the clear gap between Tottenham’s tactical targets and their current physical stamina.
“We’re sorry, because the target was to play 90 minutes like the first 30 minutes, we can’t do this right now.”
Staggered Pre-Season and Tour Disruptions Compound Conditioning Issues
De Zerbi’s comments provide crucial context for Tottenham’s performance against Everton, where Spurs started with purpose and controlled early possession before seeing their sharp movement fade as the match progressed. The drop in physical output has directly impacted Tottenham’s final-third sharpness, contributing to a historical goal drought that has now stretched to four consecutive goalless Premier League matches to begin the 2026/27 season.
The conditioning deficit stems from a heavily disrupted pre-season schedule. Multiple key first-team players, including captain Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, and Mateus Fernandes, suffered injuries during the club’s pre-season tour of Australia. Furthermore, late transfer window arrivals Savio and Omar Marmoush landed in North London just ten days prior to competitive fixtures, while central midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur returned late following international duty at the World Cup. Consequently, De Zerbi has been forced to build match fitness during high-stakes domestic matches rather than through a traditional pre-season block.
With Tottenham preparing for a demanding midweek trip to face Liverpool at Anfield in the Carabao Cup, De Zerbi faces the difficult task of balancing squad rotation with physical conditioning. The Italian boss has already indicated that he intends to utilize his wider squad on Tuesday, giving opportunities to alternate options such as the newly eligible Richarlison to manage heavy workloads.
While back-to-back clean sheets against Nottingham Forest and Everton demonstrate defensive resilience, De Zerbi knows that reaching peak physical sharpness is essential to unblocking Tottenham’s attack and turning encouraging early spells into sustained 90-minute victories.
