Tottenham messed up badly over Mateus Fernandes deal, De Zerbi is rightly furious
Roberto De Zerbi is running out of time to prove himself after Tottenham Hotspur's owners splashed the cash during the summer.
The former Brighton man is already one of the favourites to be sacked next in the Premier League, with Spurs sitting bottom of the table going into the international break.
Supporters up and down the division expected a turnaround in North London after the Lilywhites spent over £300million in the transfer window.
Sandro Tonali, Andy Robertson and Jan Paul van Hecke have all fit seamlessly into the lineup, while Savio has shown some positive signs.
The same simply cannot be said about 22-year-old Mateus Fernandes, who arrived on an £85million deal from West Ham United back in July.
West Ham snapped up that fee for the midfielder, and it is now clear to see why, as Fernandes struggles to find his feet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Mateus Fernandes deservedly hooked vs Aston Villa
De Zerbi and his staff would have been fuming with the team's performance against Aston Villa on Saturday, 19 September, even after grabbing two late goals.
Conor Gallagher and Van Hecke both found the back of the net, but that was no thanks to Fernandes, who had been hooked during the half-time break.
When being asked about his half-time decision, De Zerbi admitted that he "didn't like" what he saw from the 22-year-old, being left with no choice but to replace him with Mohammed Kudus.
That must be seen as a huge moment in the £85m star's career already, and one that will be difficult for him to come back from this season.
Tottenham star's stats say it all
Very few will be able to argue against De Zerbi's decision at half-time, especially not Fernandes, who has failed to come to life for Spurs so far.
He also wasted two chances in front of goal, only made three sprints, and had the 23rd-highest top speed out of everyone on the pitch.
When someone like Lucas Bergvall is so eager to get more minutes, Fernandes could find himself really struggling to break back into the lineup.