De Zerbi Must Fix Tottenham's Losing Mentality
Tottenham Hotspur's new coach, De Zerbi, faces a big challenge early in the season.
The team was thrashed by Brentford in a surprising and heavy defeat.
This result marked a disastrous start for the new-look Tottenham squad in the Premier League.
Many players are new this season, as the club made big changes to the team.
De Zerbi must now find a way to cure the team's losing mentality.
This means the players seem to expect defeat instead of believing they can win.
The coach reacted to the shocking loss and spoke about what needs to change.
He is under pressure to turn things around quickly for Tottenham fans.
The 2026-27 Premier League season has just begun, so there is still time to improve.
However, a bad start like this can make things harder for a new coach.
Fans and pundits will be watching closely to see how De Zerbi responds.
The next few matches will be important for Tottenham's confidence and results.
Vocabulary10 words
- coach
- a person who trains a sports team
- losing mentality
- a way of thinking where a team expects to lose
- thrashed
- beaten very badly in a game
- disastrous
- extremely bad or unlucky
- new-look
- changed, with new players or style
- squad
- all the players on a team
- pressure
- a strong feeling that you must do something well
- pundits
- experts who talk about sports on TV or in news
- confidence
- believing you can do something well
- surprising
- not expected
Quiz
Answer key
1. The team's losing mentality 2. They were heavily defeated 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Tottenham Hotspur's new coach, De Zerbi, faces a big _____ early in the season.
The team was _____ by Brentford in a surprising and heavy defeat.
This result marked a _____ start for the new-look Tottenham squad in the Premier League.
Many players are new this season, as the club made big changes to the team.
De Zerbi must now find a way to cure the team's _____.
This means the players seem to expect defeat instead of believing they can win.
The coach _____ to the shocking loss and spoke about what needs to change.
He is under _____ to turn things around quickly for Tottenham fans.
The 2026-27 Premier League season has just begun, so there is still time to improve.
Fans and _____ will be watching closely to see how De Zerbi responds.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think a football team can develop a 'losing mentality'?
- What can a new coach do to change a team's confidence quickly?
- Do you think a bad start to the season always predicts a bad season overall?
- How important is a coach's reaction after a big defeat like this?