Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi has opened up about the thinking behind his selection choices following his side's defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, admitting he was aware of the risks in fielding Lucas Bergvall from the start.
With Mateus Fernandes and Rodrigo Bentancur both short of full fitness after difficult pre-season periods, De Zerbi turned to Bergvall to partner Sandro Tonali in central midfield. Fernandes has been managing calf fatigue that has restricted his playing time, while Bentancur only rejoined full training later than his teammates following his involvement at the World Cup.
The gamble did not pay off on the night. Bergvall struggled to find his rhythm in a difficult atmosphere and was directly involved in the sequence that led to Brentford's second goal, losing possession in a dangerous area. Tottenham found themselves 2-0 down inside just 33 minutes, prompting De Zerbi to withdraw the young Swede at half-time in search of a response from his side.
Despite the outcome, the Italian coach was unequivocal in defending his selection logic when speaking to reporters after the match. He pointed to the scale of squad turnover behind his decision, contrasting last season's regular back line and midfield pairing with the new-look group now available to him.
"Yeah, I was surprised, I was suffering for this defeat, but we are working. If you analyze last season, the defensive line, Porro, Danso, Micky van de Ven and Udogie. And today, Archie Gray, Jean Paul van Hecke, Senesi and Robertson, four new players," De Zerbi said.
He continued by explaining the reasoning behind picking Bergvall over the more experienced Bentancur, citing preparation time as a decisive factor. "Two midfielders - Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha. Today, two midfielders, Bergvall, why not Bentancur? Because he came late in the pre-season. In the pre-season, we worked with Lucas Bergvall. I think at the beginning of the season, at the beginning of the new project, it was good, it was right to play with Lucas Bergvall."
De Zerbi acknowledged he had anticipated potential difficulties for the 20-year-old against this level of opposition, but insisted the club needed to build for the future rather than solely focus on short-term results. "But I knew before the game, Lucas Bergvall, in this type of game, maybe he could suffer more than Rodrigo Bentancur, 9 years older, and Lucas, 20. I knew before the game, but at the end you have to think. We go, and we try to build something good for the club. We need also Archie Gray, we need also Lucas Bergvall, or we work for today. And tomorrow, I don't know."
The Tottenham boss also offered a more nuanced assessment of Bergvall's overall display, suggesting the midfielder's performance was not as poor as the costly turnover for the second goal might suggest. Bergvall's recent situation has been notable given reports earlier in the summer that he had pushed for a departure from the club, before finding his way back into De Zerbi's plans.
"Lucas Bergvall, the second goal. I think he didn't play bad today, even if I substituted in the half-time," De Zerbi said. "But Lucas Bergvall in the next two years, he will not lose that ball in that moment of the game. But there are steps to become better."
With Fernandes and Bentancur both expected to return to full sharpness in the coming weeks, De Zerbi will face further selection decisions as Tottenham look to bounce back from the defeat and continue integrating their new signings into the squad.
Based on reporting from standard-football.