Tottenham have three 'bigger problems' than Roberto De Zerbi

Roberto De Zerbi is far from the biggest issue at Tottenham Hotspur amid growing frustrations after a slow start to the season.

Pressure on the manager's position has ramped up after a 3-2 defeat against Aston Villa left them bottom of the Premier League table with no wins from their opening five games.

This comes off the back of back-to-back 17th-placed finishes, with De Zerbi having rescued the club from relegation when he was appointed in the latter stages of last season.

Former Tottenham scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Spurs are "pretending they're a top club" but their operations behind the scenes prove otherwise.

That has been evidenced on the pitch in recent years, with the club having finished outside of the top six in four of the past six seasons, and they are on track for another poor showing.

Should results fail to improve after the three-week international break, De Zerbi will inevitably bear the brunt of the criticism, but the board are equally to blame.

What issues is Robert De Zerbi facing at Spurs?

Football Insider reported on 13 September that Spurs have sold De Zerbi short by failing to adequately strengthen his squad before the transfer window closed.

Despite having spent over £300million during the summer transfer window, there are concerns that key areas of the squad are still in need of major improvements.

Regardless of the money spent on new players, however, the issues at Tottenham remain systematic with concerns that the poor results filter down from the top.

"Tottenham have bigger problems than Roberto De Zerbi, it goes right to the top of the club," Brown told Football Insider.

"They pretend to be a top club, but their results on the pitch aren't matching that and they don't behave like a top club, they still have so many problems.

"Look, Tottenham are a big club of course, but they have a hell of a lot of proving to do about how good they think they are, because they got away with murder last season.

"It's about way more than just the manager, it's the way the club is set up, the decisions they make behind the scenes, the support they give to the manager as well.

"It's no coincidence that they've had these big-name managers and all of them have left and all of them have criticised the club as well.

"It gets to a stage where they have to step back and take a look at themselves, reevaluate their ambitions and where they see themselves, and be a bit more realistic.

"But ultimately, I expect them to keep doing what they have been doing for the last few years, keep getting the same results, and it will be the manager who has to take the blame."

What is Tottenham's stance on sacking De Zerbi?

Despite the inquest into deeper issues at Tottenham causing problems for the manager, De Zerbi is still baring the brunt of the criticism for the slow start to the season.

After five Premier League games without a win, and elimination from the League Cup, questions have been asked of the manager's role.

However, Brown told Football Insider on 21 September that there are currently no plans for Tottenham to sack De Zerbi as they hope to stick by him.

While there are concerns that their struggles cannot continue for much longer, they are highly unlikely to pull the trigger during the upcoming international break.

Spurs spent upwards of £300million on new players to back the manager, and despite the slow start, remain confident that he is the man to get the best out of them.