news-engine

← tottenham

Glenn Hoddle thinks De Zerbi singled out Mikey Moore for criticism after Brentford loss

To The Lane And Back · Rohan Sengupta · 2026-08-23T13:55:16+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Tottenham were comprehensively beaten 3-0 away by Brentford. Tottenham Hotspur got stung by Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium in their first game of the new Premier League on Saturday. Goals from Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt saw Brentford two up at the break after a dominant display, before Michael Kayode added a third shortly after half-time to have Roberto De Zerbi’s side reeling. It was an abject performance from the Lilywhites, who avoided relegation to the Championship by the skin of their teeth last season and have spent top dollar on new signings throughout the summer to rebuild their squad. Glenn Hoddle thinks Roberto De Zerbi dug out Mikey Moore after Brentford defeat Archie Gray, who captained Spurs on the day, made his feelings known after the defeat in west London. In Pedro Porro’s absence, Gray started at right-back. Mikey Moore was rewarded for his performance against Hoffenheim in the pre-season friendly with a start ahead of Gray at right-wing. The teenage prodigy was anonymous throughout the first half and could not impact the proceedings in the final third. A better display after the break led to him getting three chances, but he couldn’t convert any of those before being substituted in the 66th minute. After the game, De Zerbi singled out Mikey Moore when highlighting the poor approach to pressing from his players. “We were not ready to fight in the duels,” De Zerbi said (h/t BBC Sport). “I think we made a lot of mistakes in the timing of the pressure with Mikey Moore in the left centre, we arrived too many times late. “We lost too many duels to compete with Brentford. I’m sorry for that; I’m sorry for the defeat. I know we have to improve in the physical condition, we have to improve in the organisation because there were many new players.” Reacting to De Zerbi’s post-match comments, Tottenham great Glenn Hoddle felt that the Italian tactician dug out Moore, his failure to link up well with Gray and press in an organised manner. “I think they struggled a little bit having Archie Gray and Mikey Moore down that right side, they weren’t pressing together. I think that’s what he’s alluding to, but he’s dug him out a little bit there,” Glenn Hoddle told Premier League Productions (h/t The Metro). A forgettable day in the office for Spurs Tottenham suffered a crushing defeat in their opening Premier League game against Brentford. De Zerbi and Co. were thoroughly swept aside by their city counterparts, and alarm bells will be ringing that this could be another difficult campaign ahead. Majority of the players were sub-par. Lucas Bergvall and Conor Gallagher were hooked at half-time following their inability to control the game from midfield, while Gray never looked comfortable at the back. Him and Moore struggled to contain Keane Lewis-Potter and Kevin Schade, as the Brentford duo enjoyed a field day. It was a total collective and tactical failure, amplified by a lack of cohesion, energy and fitness levels of several players. There is a lot of work to be done on different aspects of the game if Tottenham are to enjoy a meaningful season.