Spend €360 Million and Score No Goals! Tottenham Record Worst Start in 52 Years, But De Zerbi Is Not the Only One to Blame

Three Premier League matches, 270 minutes, and Tottenham's goal account has remained frozen with no movement.

After a 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest, Tottenham became one of only three Premier League teams this season still without a goal. The other two are promoted side Coventry and Aston Villa. Tottenham now stand alongside them, spending the most money but suffering one of the most disappointing starts.

Since 1974, Tottenham have not started a season with three consecutive league matches without scoring. After 52 years, the club has used €360 million to set an unwanted record again.

Everyone is criticizing De Zerbi. But perhaps the blame is being directed at the wrong target.

No shots on target across the match, and the embarrassment is not only about the forwards.

Let's look at the match first.

In the 17th minute, Marmoush went one-on-one but his low shot went wide of the post. In the 71st minute, he had another chance inside the box but fired over. Two excellent chances, two misses. Tottenham finished the match with zero shots on target.

This is no longer just a tactical issue. Even De Zerbi's possession system cannot overcome forwards wasting one-on-one chances. More ironically, Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams was named MVP after the match with three tackles and two clearances. A full-back becoming the best player shows how ineffective Tottenham's attack was.

But is it fair to put all the blame on De Zerbi?

The recruitment team may be the real source of the problems.

Tottenham spent €360 million this summer, the highest net spending in the Premier League. It sounds impressive, but a closer look suggests they spent heavily on players from other elite clubs who had not fully established themselves.

Savinho was not wanted by Manchester City. Marmoush was another player City did not continue pursuing. The two cost €150 million combined. Tonali was a player Newcastle struggled to use and wanted to move on from. Tel spent years on loan from Bayern without truly establishing himself. Van de Ven had been average at Wolfsburg before Tottenham viewed him as a defensive savior.

Some say De Zerbi has a sharp eye and excels at finding potential talents. But the argument here is that these players were not hidden prospects, but expensive purchases with questions attached. Tottenham's recruitment department used a €360 million budget in a way that resembled buying discounted clearance items.

A fan comment was harsh but pointed: "Savinho and Marmoush could not fully succeed even in Manchester City's strong system, yet they cost €150 million and nobody else rushed to sign them. Didn't they know why?"

De Zerbi is the head coach, not the sporting director. He can design tactics, but he does not decide who is brought in. When a recruitment team gives a coach a squad full of overlapping roles, low confidence, and mismatched playing styles, any manager will face major difficulties.

Tottenham have become very familiar with being a destination for former elite players.

This is not the first time Tottenham have made this mistake.

From using Gareth Bale's transfer fee to buy several risky signings in the past, to spending €360 million on players discarded by top clubs today, Tottenham's management seems to repeatedly spend large sums without getting the expected return.

Tottenham's problem has never been a lack of money, but how to spend it effectively. Levy is famous for careful financial management, but football is not accounting. Every deal may look calculated, yet the results on the pitch do not add up — zero goals is the final audit result.

De Zerbi may have coaching limitations, but getting immediate results from a newly inherited squad made up of many mismatched pieces was always extremely difficult. The question now is that everyone is examining De Zerbi's tactical mistakes while few are asking who signed these players.

Next match against Everton: a game Tottenham cannot afford to lose.

On September 13, Tottenham will host Everton.

This is no longer an ordinary league match, but a test of pride. If Tottenham cannot beat Everton, De Zerbi's position may come under serious pressure before Christmas. However, the deeper issue remains that even with a coaching change, the squad's weaknesses would still exist — poor finishing, weak midfield organization, and low-quality wide deliveries.

Tottenham's €360 million spending has demonstrated one thing: in football, spending money is a skill. Tottenham have repeatedly failed this lesson.

De Zerbi may not be the right answer, but those behind him who turned €360 million into a source of criticism are the ones who should face the strongest questions.

Seven-character regulated verse: "Questions for Tottenham"

Three hundred million in gold thrown like dust, White Hart Lane locked away in old spring.

One-on-one shots fly toward the sky, while ordinary players are treated as treasures.

The coach struggles with his lineup, while the executives lose their way in recruitment.

Who wrote this 52-year humiliation? Do not place all the blame on one person.