Mateus Fernandes hasn’t lived up to the immediate lofty expectations of the Tottenham boss and the fans.
Tottenham Hotspur entered the international break with zero wins in five Premier League games. The productivity in front of goal has been beyond embarrassing, and the biggest reason why Roberto De Zerbi’s side are winless is that they cannot put the ball into the back of the net.
Spurs are missing plenty of chances, but they are also lacking in the creative department. With James Maddison still not fully fit and Dejan Kulusevski on his comeback trail from a serious knee injury, Spurs do not have a true No. 10. This has seen Roberto De Zerbi use Mateus Fernandes in that position, in combination with Conor Gallagher, lacking other options.
It has been a slow start to life for Mateus Fernandes at Tottenham Hotspur. He was one of the Lilywhites’ most expensive signings of the summer window, but the central midfielder has not hit the ground running the way he would have hoped for.
Mateus Fernandes claims he is “developing more and more”
Fernandes missed out on Portugal’s World Cup squad in the summer. A change of manager could have given him another route into the senior side, but Jorge Jesus also left him out of his first selection. For now, he is back with Portugal’s Under-21s.
The Tottenham midfielder was the skipper of the Portugal Under-21s side that lost 2-1 to Bulgaria Under-21s in the EURO Under-21 qualifiers. Portugal Under-21s will be up against Gibraltar and Czechia next month, and the Tottenham fans will be able to watch Fernandes in action.
From the Portugal camp, the 22-year-old has opened up on his development in the last two years since arriving in England.
“The last two years have been incredible for me individually, both on and off the pitch. I’m developing more and more,” Fernandes told in an interview with Portuguese newspaper O’Jogo (h/t Sport Witness).
Fernandes has to improve
Fernandes was handed a starting role in central midfield against Aston Villa but struggled to make an impact during a frantic opening 45 minutes. Seeking greater control and balance in the side, De Zerbi withdrew the Portuguese talent at the break. After the game, the Italian tactician expressed disappointment with his display.
It is clear that Fernandes hasn’t quite settled in at his new club. Plus, he couldn’t enjoy a full pre-season with the North Londoners, as the ex-West Ham man was carefully managed by the coaching staff. De Zerbi’s public feedback after the Villa game served as a challenge for the talented youngster to elevate his performance levels and contribute more to help Tottenham battle through a tough start to the campaign.
