De Zerbi: Tonali had two clear chances to shoot, I don't know why he didn't take them

In the 4th round of the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur drew 0-0 with Everton at home. After the match, Tottenham Hotspur manager De Zerbi spoke to the club's official media.

Roberto, thank you for the interview. Please comment on your team's performance today.

We are disappointed with this result. We should have maintained the level we showed in the first 30 minutes for the entire 90 minutes. Our physical condition is not yet at its peak. Given the technical and tactical quality we demonstrated and our control of the game, we did not create enough shots and chances – we could have had more attempts. We made many poor decisions in the attacking third. We must stay more focused and composed, and work hard to improve in the areas where we are lacking.

What was the biggest difference between the first and second halves? The team started with a very fast pace and high pressing intensity. What changed in the second half?

Frankly, I've only been training with this team for 10 days, starting on a Thursday two weeks ago – not last Thursday, but the one before. I think many players are not in ideal physical condition right now. This applies to Micky van de Ven, Bentancur, Solanke, Sarr, and Marmoush. Van Hecke, Robertson, and Tonali have been training with me from the beginning. In the second half, Tonali energized the whole team and perhaps played better than in the first half. Rodrigo Bentancur was not at his best because he returned late after the World Cup, which is completely understandable. I don't want to see such a clear drop-off between the first 30 minutes and the rest of the match.

Is the current problem due to a loss of confidence from the lack of goals recently?

Some players may have negative thoughts, but I don't think they should. We must focus on the process of the game itself. And what happened on the field proved that we played very well in the first 30 minutes. We must extend this 30-minute period of high-level play to 70, 80, or even 90 minutes and maintain this style. I believe that as long as we sustain the same quality and improve our key decisions – both collectively and individually – we will win many games in the future.

Can you say more about Tonali? As you mentioned, do you feel he started to find his rhythm in the second half?

He did perform better in the second half. In the first half, the opponent compressed the space very tightly, but we also created some scoring opportunities in the second half. However, we failed to finish decisively. I remember Tonali had two clear chances to shoot, and I really don't know why he didn't take them.

Finally, it seems the team's only issue now is breaking through that barrier – scoring the first goal and getting the first win, especially at home. Do you think that once this breakthrough is achieved, it will inject strong confidence into the entire team?

I think so. We do need more confidence, but that doesn't mean we lack it. True solid confidence must be built on winning games. But in football, you never win by luck. Victory doesn't come from thin air – it comes from hard work and real results. We must find a way and do our best to create the conditions necessary to win games.

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