Ahead of the Carabao Cup second-round match where Tottenham Hotspur will host Charlton Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur manager De Zerbi held a press conference to answer media questions and discuss players including Robertson, Bergvall, Solanke, and Richarlison. Below is the second part of the press conference.

Related reading: [De Zerbi: Talks with Savio began at the end of May, it is reasonable to wait for such a player]

Reporter: Andy Robertson made his official debut on Saturday. We would like to know what he can bring to the team off the pitch and in the dressing room?

De Zerbi: My relationship with Andy is very good. I think he played well. It's not easy for him to adjust to a new city, a new dressing room, a new coach, and new faces around him after spending a long time at a club like Liverpool and moving to a new environment. But I believe in his personal ability and character, and I hope he can show his personality. We need his winning mentality because we need to change some habits from the last two seasons.

Reporter: I have one last question. I would like to know if you spoke with Bergvall after Saturday's match? If so, what did you tell him?

De Zerbi: No, I hugged him and told him... he knows himself that he didn't play well in that match. But this match is a proper step for Bergvall, for Gray, for Mathys Tel, and also for Mikie Moore to continually grow and become stronger. Because people always want to see young players play, yes, but young players lack experience. What is experience? To gain experience, you must go through these difficult moments, play in matches like this. You must accept a defeat or become stronger the next time against an opponent like Brentford. This is a normal growth process. Perhaps it's better to have one or two young players on the pitch at the same time rather than four. But I understand very well why, because Bentancur only returned in the first week of August, Matheus Fernandes got injured, Pedro Porro was injured before the Brentford match... All these factors combined made the match very difficult. But when I say I am calm and optimistic, it's not because the manager must show a positive side, but because this is not yet the true Tottenham Hotspur. We need to find our form as quickly as possible and integrate everyone into a team. We have only just started this project, not last season. Last season our goal was to avoid relegation, and this season has only just begun—it's impossible to improve overnight. I hope and work hard for it, but it's not easy to become a real team. We need to work on the players' understanding, their relationships, and the tactical style to find the soul of this team. And we completely failed to show any of these qualities in Saturday's match.

Reporter: Dominic Solanke has had some physical issues since joining. How important would he be to you if he can regain his fitness and form?

De Zerbi: He is another very important player. But last season we successfully avoided relegation with Richarlison at the top. I value Richarlison highly as well, but he must play better than he did against Brentford. In that match, all of us made mistakes and played poorly, and as the manager, I am always the first one responsible. But for us, especially when the opponent uses man-marking, our striker must be able to hold and protect the ball to give us time to push forward. Of course, Solanke is also a crucial player for us.

Reporter: How important is this competition to you, and how well do you understand what cup competitions mean to the fans?

De Zerbi: For me, the League Cup is just as important as the Premier League. We are not yet in a position to pick and choose competitions. Since there are matches to play, we must give everything and get used to winning, winning every match. It's about winning consecutively, not being satisfied with winning just one match—we must win the first, second, third, and fourth matches consecutively. We must change the team's mentality. Can we do that? Of course we can, because we managed it last season: we had three wins and two draws in our last six matches, with only one defeat away at Chelsea. I heard some comments last season that we couldn't win because our last victory was in December. Yes, I know, but I think the environment around us must change as well—players and people at the club must change this mentality. That is a challenge. When I say we must become a real team, I mean it. In terms of player quality, our lineup against Brentford should have played much better than it actually did. I cannot guarantee a win, but we should have played better. Gray, Van de Ven, Senesi, Robertson, Tonali, Bergvall, Gallagher, Richarlison, Tel... I think these are all very good players.

Reporter: Finally, although you experienced the Hoffenheim match in the stadium... the last very significant match in this stadium was against Everton. Tomorrow you return to that place. At the end of the Everton match, there was a moment captured of you looking affectionately at the fans in the stands who were singing loudly... I would like to know what was going through your mind at that moment, after you had successfully helped the club avoid relegation? Especially seeing the huge South Stand and all the fans singing for you?

De Zerbi: I have very fond memories from last season—those final six or seven matches were incredibly decisive for me, and I remember every detail clearly. Now I hold those feelings from last season firmly in my mind and apply them to my daily work. Because regardless of what happened before, when I arrived, I was not responsible for their previous results. But looking back at last season, I wanted to work at Tottenham Hotspur at that time. That's why I think this is now a huge opportunity for us and for me personally. But I believe if we show the true Tottenham Hotspur and demonstrate the qualities I just mentioned, we can create something special.

Übersetzt von KI.

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