Roberto De Zerbi's 'issue' with Mathys Tel clear as footage emerges - ex-Tottenham scout

Roberto De Zerbi is beginning to have issues with his Tottenham Hotspur players after footage of his argument with Mathys Tel emerged on Saturday.

That is the opinion of former senior Tottenham scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.

Cameras captured the Italian arguing with the 21-year-old on the pitch after the Lilywhites were held to a 0-0 draw in North London by Everton.

Tel had only come on midway through the second half but appeared to take the brunt of De Zerbi's criticism, to which he did not appear to be overly receptive.

Tottenham are yet to score a goal in the Premier League this season, and have taken just two points from a possible 12.

The coming weeks do not get much easier for De Zerbi's side, clashes against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup and Aston Villa in the league coming up before the international break.

'I never fancied' Roberto De Zerbi

Unfortunately for Tottenham, De Zerbi has had issues off the pitch wherever he has gone.

At Brighton, the problems were more related to disagreements over strategy with the ownership.

Yet at Marseille, the Italian lost the dressing room and ultimately lost his support within the club.

"I cannot understand the way things have been going at Tottenham," King told Football Insider. "I can't see the reason and the amount of money they've had to pay off managers because they've been on long term contracts and they've sacked them through poor results and ended up paying.

"You just go back to [Jose] Mourinho. I think the whole package was about £18million, I think. And I never thought that this was the right appointment, De Zerbi. I know initially he'd done well at Brighton, but what did Brighton win, actually?

"Can you tell me what they won apart from getting into Europe and certainly not progressing too far in that? But one thing is managing Brighton, another thing managing Marseille. He fell out of love there with the players.

"By the look of the way he was speaking to Tel after the match, I didn't think Tel appreciated being told exactly what he should have been doing on the pitch. He seems to have an issue at the moment with certain players at Tottenham, as I think all the fans have, I think.

"And now the issue is moving from players on to the management team because, personally, I thought Everton should have won. He, for me, has got to realise that Tottenham Hotspur are a very different club to anything he's been at.

"Again, I never fancied him when they brought him in. He always seems to have this issue with players and I think he's had enough time to sort out the football club since he came in. He's had a whole summer. He spent an awful lot of money."

What did De Zerbi say about Mathys Tel spat?

While fans were left concerned by the footage of De Zerbi and Tel, the manager insisted that there is no problem.

"Yes, I coached him on the pitch," the Italian explained. Asked to expand, he said: "The body shape. He is a striker and the striker can play with the shoulder on the goal.

"If we are playing with [James] Maddison, [Mohammed] Kudus and Savio, he has to play as a striker and the striker has to look at the goal or the cross from Robertson.

"He has to stay inside because he started as a striker eh? Now he is playing as a winger, but he started his career as a striker, but I love Mathys as a player, as a guy and there is not a problem."