Tottenham Hotspur will host Aston Villa at home. Ahead of the match, Tottenham Hotspur head coach De Zerbi attended a press conference and discussed the injury recoveries of Maddison, Kulusevski, and other players, as well as the team's recent performance and upcoming preparations. This is the second part of the press conference.

Currently, the team's performance is improving, but the results haven't matched your expectations. What concerns you more at this stage? Continuing to improve performance and trusting that results will come naturally as we play better, or focusing on getting results now as in this match, where three points are crucial?

We need to improve in all aspects. Because as I said after the last match, the way we conceded the first goal was terrible. We knew exactly what our defensive plan was supposed to be, and a long ball to Gakpo should not have been enough to expose us like that.

The same applies to the second goal; we could have stopped Gakpo better and defended more aggressively. The third goal came from Szoboszlai's individual brilliance. We can also continue to improve our quality of play. I think we created more chances in that match compared to previous ones, and one reason is that Liverpool played more boldly, so there was more space on the pitch for us to attack and more one-on-one opportunities.

However, I have enough coaching experience to say that sometimes, as a coach, you don't even know the specific reason why your team scores and wins. But other times, the situation is very different. You think your team is playing well, not brilliant, but well enough to score and win the match, yet in the end, you don't win.

At this moment, you must stay calm and have belief in what you're doing, and trust your players. They have my 100% confidence. We continue to move forward, trying to improve every day. But this can't just be talk; it must be achieved through concrete actions.

In the weeks since the start of the Premier League season, has anything made you change what you originally wanted to do, or change how you want the team to play? Have these matches influenced your thinking?

No. Why?

I'm talking about team performance, results, and perhaps team-building aspects...

No, I'm not talking about the overall direction. I'm just saying that there might be specific tactical ideas involved. I've simply invested more effort than before. As to whether that's better, I'm not sure, but what's certain is that I've put in more work. However, this isn't because of the results, but because we still have many areas where we need to improve, and some areas aren't good enough yet, so we must continue to improve. That's all. But that's football, isn't it?

I'm sure you're aware there's a lot of talk outside right now—for example, about not winning or scoring in the Premier League—but you appear very calm every time. Is the club equally calm? Does everyone understand that this is a process and requires time?

I don't know, but from what I understand, I think so. But in any case, I will move forward with the players. I don't think it's appropriate right now to explain why our start hasn't been optimal. I think there are many, many reasons for it, but this isn't the right place to discuss those things. What we need to do is take responsibility and explain where we still need to improve, and that's all.

I remember last season you talked about the team maintaining balance. After winning, emotions shouldn't be too high; after losing, not too low. During this period of suboptimal results, are you seeing the team improve in this regard? Even though results haven't come, the players aren't completely demoralized by it, and the team is still maintaining this balance.

Absolutely. You can see it from our reactions. After Gakpo scored the second goal, we showed a very good reaction, and we deserved to score again. You could also see the first 10 to 15 minutes of the Liverpool match, where we created two very good scoring chances. So, regarding the team's reaction, I have no criticism.

One last question, about young player Williams-Barnett. I know he was injured before, but he's recovered now. Given that you have many attacking players now, will you consider giving him a chance from the bench at the right time?

Yes, I hold him in very high regard because he's an excellent player with the potential to become a top player. We must assess the right time for him, and also consider when is the right time for the team.

Managing young players is different work, especially when they have the potential to become top players. Because you can't put them in unsuitable situations or place them in unfavorable conditions, but at the same time, you can't forget about them. I haven't forgotten Williams-Barnett, just as I haven't forgotten Malachi Malik. However, we must find the right moment.

Related reading:

De Zerbi: Playing Villa Will Be a Difficult Match, Porro, Tonali, and Maddison Are All Available

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