'I didn't want to say anything' - Furious Roberto De Zerbi blanks Tottenham players after dramatic Aston Villa collapse

The atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium reached a new low on Saturday as De Zerbi opted for a vow of silence in the immediate aftermath of his side's collapse. The Italian tactician explained that he intentionally chose not to address the squad immediately after the match to avoid making knee-jerk or unproductive statements, clarifying that his silence stems from a desire for composure rather than any personal issue or rift with his players.

"Maybe it is better. I didn't speak with the players today because I didn't want to say nothing. No, I have nothing with them," De Zerbi said.

The manner of the defeat particularly irked De Zerbi, who pointed to specific tactical failures and a lack of mental fortitude when under pressure. Spurs conceded a goal while down to ten men due to a facial injury to Micky van de Ven, and later succumbed to a route-one ball from a goal kick. De Zerbi was vocal about the need for his senior figures to take control of such situations on the pitch.

"We conceded an unacceptable goal from a long kick with a long ball and we knew before the game, because this season Aston Villa are playing 86 per cent more long balls than last season and we spoke in many, many meetings," the manager lamented.

De Zerbi placed the burden of responsibility on the experienced members of his starting XI to prevent the team from folding when momentum shifts. “It's my responsibility, I take my responsibility but in that moment of the game, when the game is different than ball possession than playing in the last third, because we can't play 90 minutes in the last third like the first half, because there is an opponent, Aston Villa is not a so bad team, it's a good team. And the moment when we have to defend and we have to defend compact the leaders have to be leaders and to lead the team," the Italian continued.

Further compounding De Zerbi's frustrations is the underwhelming form of marquee signing Dominic Solanke. The striker, who was expected to lead the line with clinical efficiency, has looked a shadow of his former self during the opening month of the season. The manager admitted that the forward’s fitness and self-belief are currently not at the required level.

"We need more from him for sure, but he's one of my players, I like Dom as a player and I stay with him until the end. He needs to stay, to feel better, his physical condition is not good enough for sure, but it's normal for him. Maybe he's not good enough in the confidence of himself in this moment because he's much better than this Dom Solanke," De Zerbi stated.

With a large portion of his squad departing for national team duty during the three-week international break, De Zerbi views the upcoming hiatus as an advantage rather than a disruption. While those called up will maintain their match sharpness with their respective countries, the manager sees this break as an ideal window to refocus efforts back at the club. For the key players remaining behind, De Zerbi plans to implement an intensive training schedule.

"The players who go with the national team they have to play, they have to work and the other players like [Conor] Gallagher, Solanke, Tosin [Adarabioyo], [Marcos] Senesi, Savio for sure we have to work more because of the physical condition I didn't like in this game," De Zerbi concluded.