De Zerbi Praises Bentancur's Red Card as 'Character' in Tottenham's Draw
Tottenham manager expresses paradoxical approval of midfielder's aggressive reaction, seeing it as a necessary spark despite the disciplinary consequence.
Tottenham manager Roberto de Zerbi stated he "kissed Rodrigo and said thanks" to midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur after the player was sent off during the team's 1-1 draw against Manchester United. The incident occurred in the 78th minute when Bentancur, after a challenge from Luke Shaw, appeared to headbutt Shaw. The referee issued a red card, reducing Tottenham to 10 players while they were trailing 1-0.
Despite the disadvantage, Tottenham managed to secure a draw with a late equalizer. De Zerbi characterized the red card, while a mistake, as a necessary display of "blood" and "character" that Tottenham needed. "I liked the situation with the red card. We need at this moment the situation, not to bring a red card but we need to not accept the defeat," he explained.
Tottenham remains winless in the Premier League this season after six matches, with only three points, placing them in the relegation zone. This start is one of the club's worst in decades. The team has shown moments of attacking play but has lacked conviction, scoring only three goals, fewer than all but one team in the league.
De Zerbi emphasized that the match against Manchester United was the first time this season the team demonstrated unity. "Today has been the game where for the first time this season we showed we are a team," he said. He praised the players for playing for each other and maintaining cohesion throughout the game.
The club invested over £250 million in new players over the summer, adding ten new members to the squad. To foster team cohesion, Tottenham has organized a warm-weather training camp in Marbella. De Zerbi's immediate goal is to transform the group of players into a cohesive unit.
"Now the target is to build the team," De Zerbi stated. "We are a great group of players but we are not a team yet and to be a team is to play for the team-mates, suffer together, attack together."
Tottenham's next matches are against newly-promoted Coventry on October 19, followed by a fixture against Chelsea the subsequent Saturday.