Spurs 'Void of Leaders' – Winless Start Leaves Tottenham Bottom
Former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood has questioned the leadership and character within the current squad after Spurs dropped to the bottom of the Premier League table. With Roberto De Zerbi's side winless after five games, Sherwood told a Sky Sports Spurs podcast that the manager cannot arrest the slide alone.
- League position: Tottenham are bottom of the Premier League table after a winless start to the season.
- Next fixture: Manchester United away, live on Sky Sports.
- Points in 2026: Spurs have the fewest points (18) among ever-present Premier League sides.
- Transfer spending: 10 new players cost over £330m in the summer.
- League goals scored: Two.
What was said
"It is a worry, certainly at home because that's where you need the minerals. That's where you need the characters and leaders to come forward, and at the moment, they're void of any leaders and characters."
"I'm not sure there's anyone really losing their head or galvanising the players to try and arrest [it], which is a poor trend, in not fighting back from losing positions. The manager is. He certainly looks like he doesn't lack in any passion. But you need that within the pitch and within the dressing room and within the training pitch every single day, and I'm not sure the characters are there."
Sherwood's verdict cut to the core of Spurs' collapse when conceding first. It has now been nearly two years since Tottenham won a match after conceding the opening goal in any competition, and last month's 3-2 home defeat to Aston Villa extended that run to 47 games (D11 L36). When Aston Villa went 1-0 up in north London, it felt inevitable Spurs would head into the international break winless in the Premier League.
"When Roberto De Zerbi chose his five captains [Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray], and I asked him in the press conference, Andy Robertson wasn't one of the five. Archie Gray was, but Archie Gray's not going to be in the team much, so I am a little bit worried about leadership in that camp."
"How many of the players are really going to grab each other by the scruff of the neck? Cristian Romero maybe went too far in terms of aggression, but there were times when you did want him on your side, so I need to see a bit more aggression from some of these players as well."
Tim Sherwood unimpressed by new signings
Sherwood was asked whether any of the 10 new players who cost over £330m had impressed him. He did not hold back. "No, no one," he said. "I can't say anyone's really impressed me, and anyone would have done a better job than anyone who was there last season. They've underachieved, they really have."
He added: "We always judge on results, so I don't look at any individual player and think, 'Well, you're coming out of some credit here', because the team's losing, and I'm not sure there's been any outstanding performers." The former Spurs manager also warned that the club's poor track record in recent windows worries him about the latest batch of recruits. "Probably the last four or five years, the track record of Tottenham signings has not been fantastic. It's been a very long time since they've made a decent signing. Now, I'm not saying they're poor signings; I'm saying that they haven't done it yet, and there's still a lot of time to be able to get some confidence and show what they can really do. We've seen them in fits and starts and little cameos for other teams, but it's a different kettle of fish playing for Tottenham."
He added: "I've seen more nos than yeses at the moment over the last five years in the transfer market. I think the best signing they've made in recent history would have to be (Heung-Min) Son – and we're going way back there! We're talking about a real success. Maybe (Dejan) Kulusevski, but then he's picked up the injury. But other than that, I can't say there have been too many outstanding successes in the transfer market. But it's up to Roberto De Zerbi to develop them players, and hopefully some of these players we've seen in recent years can be unrecognisable."
'Spurs still need a striker'
With Spurs having scored just two league goals, Michael Bridge is looking at Omar Marmoush to deliver. The summer signing from Man City is yet to score in his first five Spurs appearances in all competitions, having missed one big chance and had two shots on target from his 10 attempts. "I think the one for me is Omar Marmoush. How good is this guy?" said Bridge. "I really liked glimpses of him for City, but they were only glimpses; clearly a very talented player. He really showed it in the Bundesliga [with Eintracht Frankfurt]. But can he do it consistently for Tottenham Hotspur, where he's going to be given a clear run of games. Were Tottenham right to spend as they did on Savio and Marmoush? So the jury's going to be out with these players."
With Dominic Solanke struggling for form and Richarlison frozen out against the backdrop of Spurs academy graduate Will Lankshear scoring freely in the Championship, Bridge sees a bigger problem. "I think they need a striker – an actual number nine – but how many are there out there? It doesn't help that Will Lankshear is scoring every week for Middlesbrough because he looks like a proper old-fashioned centre-forward and he's young and English. That's my worry. I'm also not one hundred per cent sure if Antonin Kinsky is a Tottenham number one for years to come. If you've spent that amount of money and you still need, for me, a goalkeeper and a number nine, then there's still a way to go."
Is De Zerbi under pressure?
Every winless week raises the temperature. Should Spurs fail to win at Manchester United, Roberto De Zerbi would become just the second Spurs boss in Premier League history to fail to win any of the opening six games of a campaign. Juande Ramos was the first, and he was sacked after Spurs had two points from eight games. But both Sherwood and Bridge are confident De Zerbi will not suffer the same fate.
"I'm not sure he's under pressure because they've given him everything he wanted, so they must have full trust in him. He's proven that he's a very good Premier League manager, albeit he's never been at a club the size of Tottenham Hotspur, with the scrutiny which is upon the club, but he looks like a character who can handle that scrutiny, and he just needs a win."
"I don't think Roberto De Zerbi is under much pressure at all. He was tracked by the club for some time. He's on a very good and long contract, and unless he's the one that initiates the departure, I don't see any change for the foreseeable."
The numbers
- 47 games without a win after conceding first: the run stretching back nearly two years (D11 L36).
- 18 points in 2026: the fewest among ever-present Premier League sides.
- 10 signings: for over £330m in the summer window.
- 2 league goals: Tottenham's total this season.
- Omar Marmoush: 5 appearances, 0 goals, 1 big chance missed, 2 shots on target from 10 attempts.
Why De Zerbi must solve Spurs' character problem, not just his tactics
The numbers tell the story of a team that cannot respond to adversity. A 47-game winless run after conceding first is not a tactical quirk – it is a psychological pattern. Roberto De Zerbi has the passion on the touchline, as Sherwood admits, but the message is not landing in the dressing room. Five captains were named – Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray – yet Bridge notes Gray is unlikely to be a regular starter. That leaves a leadership group heavy on names and light on minutes.
Up front, the reliance on Omar Marmoush is a gamble. Ten attempts without a goal, and only two on target, suggests a forward still adjusting to the weight of a Tottenham shirt. The decision to spend big on Savio and Marmoush while Dominic Solanke struggles and Richarlison is frozen out leaves the attack one-dimensional. Meanwhile, Will Lankshear scores freely in the Championship for Middlesbrough, and Antonin Kinsky has not convinced everyone he is a long-term number one.
The game at Old Trafford is about more than points. It is about proving this squad has the minerals to fight when the first goal goes against them. De Zerbi has the contract and the backing. Now he needs the win that buys him time.
Talking points
- Should De Zerbi strip the captaincy from a fringe player and hand it to someone guaranteed to start every week?
- Is spending over £330m on 10 players without solving the striker and goalkeeper positions a failure of recruitment or coaching?
- If Spurs concede first at Old Trafford, does the 47-game hoodoo become a self-fulfilling prophecy for the players?
- Has Sherwood been too harsh on the new signings, or is he right that nobody has taken responsibility in a losing team?
What happens next
Tottenham travel to Manchester United on Saturday, live on Sky Sports, aiming for their first league win of the season. A victory eases the pressure and ends the narrative around the opening six games. A defeat or a repeat of the collapse after conceding first would intensify scrutiny before the next international break and leave De Zerbi needing a response.
Frequently asked questions
Is Roberto De Zerbi under pressure as Tottenham manager?
Both Tim Sherwood and Michael Bridge believe he is not under significant pressure. Bridge said he does not see any change "for the foreseeable" given De Zerbi's long contract and the club's long-term pursuit of him.
Why are Tottenham bottom of the Premier League table?
Spurs are winless after five games of the season and have scored just two league goals. They also have the fewest points (18) among ever-present Premier League sides in 2026.
Who are Tottenham's five captains under De Zerbi?
Roberto De Zerbi named Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray as his five captains. Michael Bridge noted Andy Robertson was not among them.
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