Merson Warns De Zerbi Over Spurs Tensions After Nottingham Forest Draw

Paul Merson fears Roberto De Zerbi may already be treading on dangerous ground at Tottenham – and not because of the league table.

The football was flat enough. A goalless draw at home to Nottingham Forest, no shots on target, and still no Premier League goal this season. That alone would have set alarm bells ringing.

What came after worried Merson far more.

Merson: "Keep that in-house"

In his Sky Sports column, Merson did not hold back on De Zerbi’s post-match comments, which took aim at both Spurs’ forwards and the club’s medical staff.

“I thought Spurs were fortunate against Nottingham Forest – if Neco Williams is a little bit braver, then Forest win,” Merson wrote. “But it's a start for them.”

Then came the sting.

De Zerbi criticised his attacking players for their decision-making in the final third and openly blamed his medical team for forcing him into substitutions that, he said, broke Tottenham’s rhythm.

For Merson, that crosses a line.

“He 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.”

Merson even questioned whether the Italian was already looking to protect himself.

“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.”

At the same time, Merson acknowledged the manager’s dilemma.

“If he's being told to take a player off, he's the manager. He's in charge. If it's not up to him how long his players get on the pitch, why shouldn't he cover himself?”

No shots on target, but forwards in the firing line

On the pitch, Spurs were blunt. They finished the game without registering a single effort on target. Yet Merson was unconvinced by De Zerbi’s decision to publicly criticise his forwards.

“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.”

De Zerbi, though, clearly felt his attackers squandered key situations.

“I think we played well but in the last third we have to improve,” he said. “We have to take the better decisions. We have to keep more calm when we are very close to doing something important in the last third.”

He highlighted one second-half moment in particular, when Omar Marmoush went for goal instead of using the overlap.

“I remember the chance when Omar Marmoush shot at goal, the way we had Robertson overlapping. If we take the right decision and we play with Andy Robertson then on the second post there is Kudus to score like this.”

De Zerbi then listed a series of wasted deliveries.

“Or how many crosses went over the second post? From Mathys Tel, two times, Savio, one time. Savio, I think it's the last decision.

The ball from Pedro Porro on Mateus Fernandes when he played with Kudus and then for the header of Dominic Solanke, Mateus was completely alone to go forward to score.”

The message was clear: the structure worked, the execution did not.

Medical team in the spotlight

If the criticism of his forwards was pointed, his frustration with the medical department was even sharper.

De Zerbi revealed he was “not happy” at being told Savio and Destiny Udogie could only play 60 minutes, a call he believes disrupted Spurs’ control of the game.

“The second half, I'm sorry because the medical staff pushed to change Savinho and Udogie after 60 minutes,” he said.

“[Replacements Mohammed] Kudus and [Andy] Robertson, they played very well. But two substitutions in that moment was not so good.

“But now we can't take risk to injury again. Savio is too important for us. The same Destiny. Maybe we lost some balance, some connection.

“I'm not happy. But football is like this. Savio has not the best physical condition to play 90 minutes. He's an important player for us, a crucial player. Destiny is another crucial player for us.

“I think Kudus and Robertson, they played well. But, you know, to start one game like today, it's not so easy to come in from the bench and adapt immediately.

“I'm not happy when we have the plan, but it's for my advantage, for my business, the management of the players after injuries.”

Merson’s warning is that calling this out publicly can quickly turn toxic behind the scenes – and he has already seen how that story can end at a big club.

Spurs’ reality check

Beyond the noise, Merson believes Tottenham’s problems are as much mental as tactical.

“It's a long way to go for Spurs. But my problem is the mentality. You don't come 17th two years on the trot and expect to turn it around in a New York minute.”

Patience, he insists, is non-negotiable.

“I think people have got to be patient. Spurs shouldn't worry about being eight points behind Arsenal – all they've got to worry about is who's fifth, and how many points they're behind fifth.

“They're not finishing ahead of Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.”

The message is brutal, but realistic: Tottenham’s fight is not with the superpowers at the top. It’s with the chasing pack and their own fragile confidence.

A goalless draw in August can be brushed off. A manager publicly challenging his forwards and medical staff? If the results don’t turn quickly, that’s the kind of tension that lingers all season.