Glenn Hoddle believes Roberto De Zerbi unfairly "singled out" Moore following Tottenham's 0-3 defeat to Brentford on Saturday evening.

Glenn Hoddle says Tottenham should have abandoned their game plan before facing Brentford.

Glenn Hoddle believes Roberto De Zerbi unfairly "singled out" Moore following Tottenham's 0-3 defeat to Brentford on Saturday evening.

Tottenham were convincingly beaten by Brentford in the Premier League opener, with goals from Lewis-Potter, Janelt and Kayode securing a deserved victory for Keith Andrews' side.

De Zerbi handed debuts to Robertson, Senesi, van Hecke and Tonali, while summer signing Rogério Fernandes, who cost £85 million, came on as a substitute in the first half.

However, Tottenham struggled to trouble Brentford's defense. Speaking about his team's defeat after the match, De Zerbi singled out Moore when discussing the players' poor pressing performance.

De Zerbi said: "We weren't ready to fight for contested balls."

"I think we made too many mistakes with our pressing timing when Moore was responsible in the left-center area; too many times we were a step too slow."

"We lost too many contested balls against Brentford, and I'm sorry for that, and sorry for the defeat. I know we need to improve our fitness and our organization, because we have many new players in the team."

When asked about De Zerbi's comments, Hoddle said on Premier League Productions: "I think they struggled a bit with Archie Gray and Lloyd Moore on the right side, and they weren't pressing together. I think that's what De Zerbi was referring to, but it seems he singled out Moore."

"If you're going to press, you have to do it together; there's no point in one person rushing forward alone. When Brentford scored the opening goal, I thought: 'Richarlison, don't press the goalkeeper.' But he still rushed forward, pressed the goalkeeper, and wasted energy. They didn't handle that well."

Roberto De Zerbi apologized for Tottenham's defeat to Brentford (Photo: Shutterstock)

Hoddle also believes Tottenham should have abandoned their initial game plan in the first half and adopted a more direct approach, trying to push Brentford back into their own half.

Hoddle said: "They weren't ready to compete for 50/50 balls, they didn't engage in contested situations, and their pressing was poor. I couldn't understand their pressing approach because they were always a step too slow."

"But there's another point: you go to Brentford, it's a difficult away ground. You know there will be intense pressure in the opening 20 minutes. But they still tried to play the way they had during pre-season and preparation, looking for short passes on every possession and building from the back. They know Brentford press high, so why not just play long balls in the opening 20 minutes? Every possession, kick the ball into midfield, play in the opposition half for 20 minutes. Then, when the game opens up more, start building attacks with passes between the lines."

"But from the first minute, they seemed to be saying: 'We'll control the ball this way.' And Brentford replied: 'Perfect.' After that, Brentford's pressing wore them down."

"Sometimes you have to change your approach, or prepare for it beforehand. If you're playing Brentford at home, that's different. In the season's opening match, they're full of energy, so you should change your approach and take the game into the opposition half in the opening 20 minutes."

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