Jamie Redknapp did not hold back in his assessment of Tottenham Hotspur following another frustrating afternoon in front of goal, describing his former club's display as "diabolical" after a 0-0 draw with Everton left them still searching for their first Premier League goal of the season.
The stalemate at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium marked the first time in the club's history that Spurs have failed to score in each of their opening four league matches of a campaign. It was also the first goalless draw ever recorded at their current home ground, underlining just how barren the attacking output has been despite significant off-season investment.
Roberto De Zerbi's side started the contest with intent, pushing forward early and looking to assert themselves against an Everton team managed with defensive solidity in mind. However, as the match wore on, Tottenham struggled to create clear-cut opportunities and rarely tested goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in any meaningful way. The home fans, growing increasingly restless, voiced their frustration by booing the team off at the final whistle.
What has made the goal drought particularly perplexing for observers is the scale of Tottenham's summer spending. The club brought in a host of new attacking and midfield talent, including Savio, Omar Marmoush, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, yet none of the new arrivals have managed to find the net or provide the creative spark many expected.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Redknapp expressed his disbelief at the situation, pointing to the financial outlay as a reason why goals should not be in short supply.
"After spending £300m, I didn't think there would be a problem scoring goals," Redknapp said. "I thought that they might struggle to win games, a few teething problems, but I thought with the players they've got in midfield…surely they have goals in this team.
"To not score in the Premier League in six hours of football is absolutely diabolical, whatever way you look at it. They defended better today, the centre-backs were better than what they had been. But there was just not enough. How can you not score in six hours of football?"
The former Liverpool midfielder did acknowledge some defensive improvement, noting that Tottenham's centre-back pairing looked more assured than in previous outings. But he was adamant that defensive progress means little if the team cannot convert it into results at the other end of the pitch.
"They have not got the right balance in the team," Redknapp added. "There are so many problems to solve in a game just to score a goal."
The result leaves Tottenham stuck in 17th place in the Premier League table, a position eerily reminiscent of where they finished the previous two seasons. For a club that invested heavily in the transfer market with hopes of climbing back into contention for European places, sitting in the bottom half after four games without a single goal represents a troubling start.
Everton, by contrast, will be pleased with a point on the road. The Toffees now sit seventh in the standings, level on points with local rivals Liverpool, a strong early return under their current setup.
For Tottenham and De Zerbi, questions will only intensify over how such a well-stocked squad, assembled at considerable expense, has yet to find a way past opposing goalkeepers through the first month of the season.
Based on reporting from The Independent.