De Zerbi wants Tottenham to turn Old Trafford response into lasting team unity

Tottenham’s stoppage-time equaliser at Manchester United gave Roberto De Zerbi the team performance he had been waiting for. Now, the Spurs head coach wants the squad’s Marbella camp to help make that togetherness part of their game rather than a one-off.

Spurs came back to draw after United went ahead in the 73rd minute, and did so despite being down to 10 men. De Zerbi told Football.London that it was the first time this season he had seen Tottenham perform as a unit in both attack and defence.

“We played for the team-mates, we played together, we believed until the end of the game,” De Zerbi said. He praised the response after the goal and red card, saying Tottenham “attacked as a team” and “defended as a team”.

The coach also felt his side had done enough to avoid defeat. De Zerbi said Tottenham deserved to be “one, two goals up” at half-time and pointed to chances shortly before United scored. Spurs had dominated the first half but had not turned their opportunities into goals.

For De Zerbi, the late fightback was important, but it also underlined what he wants to see from the whole squad. He named Mateus Fernandes as an example of a substitute who came on late and said players entering from the bench must show the same commitment as those in the starting XI.

Tottenham have a nine-day break before their next match, against Coventry City, and will travel to Marbella for a warm-weather training camp. De Zerbi said the priority is to “build the team”, not simply bring a group of players together. That means training and spending time together, including sharing meals and getting to know one another better.

The challenge is to carry the connection Spurs showed at Old Trafford into their next game. De Zerbi wants Marbella to help establish the habits and understanding that can make that response a regular feature of Tottenham’s performances.