“De Zerbi is very demanding” | Andy Robertson on Spurs start to season, mentality & more

Sky Sports Premier League

Robertson on Spurs' start, De Zerbi's demands and the trip to Man Utd

Robertson reflects on his move to Spurs and admits the team are still gelling after a summer of change, with confidence likely to grow once they win. He describes Roberto De Zerbi as extremely demanding and says Spurs must be more clinical and sustain their best form for 90 minutes, treating the next five games as a mini league.

► Subscribe to Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWPremierLeagueYT Andy Robertson discusses Spurs' start to the season, mentality, getting his 100th cap for Scotland and more ahead of their Premier League 00:00 Why Spurs? 01:42 Mentality 03:03 Roberto De Zerbi 04:02 Need to be more clinical 05:26 International break 06:15 100 caps for Scotland 07:49 Man Utd game 09:14 When will we see the Spurs squad at their best? premierleague football tottenham ► Premier League highlights: https://bit.ly/PL2627HL ► MNF, FNF, SNF & Super Sunday analysis: https://bit.ly/SkyMatchAnalysis ► Gary Neville Podcast: https://bit.ly/GaryNevillePodcast ► Saturday Social: https://bit.ly/SkySaturdaySocial ► Buy this season’s shirts: https://bit.ly/SkySportsShop More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkySportsFootball ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skysportsfootball ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsfootball ► X: https://x.com/SkySportsPL ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage

Transcript

Robo, so good to see you. >> Thanks for taking the time out to speak to us. We go a long way back. Whole city 2014. I mean, to see your career, how it's just gone on to what you've achieved. I mean, you must have had a good mentor. Talk me through that. >> Yeah, Curtis Davis was excellent [laughter] though. No, obviously it was a long time ago now. And uh but that changing room, I think you'll agree was unbelievable changing room. And for me, for my first one, being down in South and things like that was such a good grounding for me. You and Tom and Jake and all that kept me kept my feet on the ground, that's for sure. And uh yeah, I think it stood me in goodstead for for what was to come. >> And now you're on the other end of this not quite as uh >> not quite as old as you. No, not quite as old as me, but >> obviously I played for for this football club. It was a real honor. And I'm sure in the summer when your contract came to an end at Liverpool, you had many options. Why was it Spurs? Yeah, I just think I I really liked the project, you know. I think you look it's it's clear that the club has struggled the last couple of years and I believe that, you know, my kind of character and the way I play and also the way I'm off the pitch >> could could try and help it. And um I still I still believe that and I know the season has not got off to the best start but you know we're still a work in progress and I do believe that you know once we get that first win we will you know the lads will get more and more confidence and and we'll start climbing the table but we need to show that. So I just think it was a it was an easy one for me. Um you know big club amazing training ground amazing stadium and um yeah for me I thought it was the it was a good next step for me. Yeah, I I look at your mentality and the way you played and what you've gone on to uh achieve your leadership skills and I'm sure that's what the football club looked at and went to get Andy Robertson. You just touched on that. We've had two really really tough seasons finishing 17. How do you change that mentality? >> I think it's just a it's just a process in terms of you know the mentality of the lads is is good. Um but you know obviously the seasons have been tough and it can sometimes take a bit of a toll on it and I think that's why the manager and the club have been so active in the window. We've tried to kind of freshen the squad up, tried to freshen the team up and um but that also then added that we need to gel together. You know, there was a lot of change in the summer and we all now need to gel as a team and I think we're getting there slowly but surely. I think you see that in the games that we've played. We have really good half an hours. we have really good 40 minutes, but we can't, you know, we've not been able to put it together for, you know, 90 minutes or enough to win a game yet. And I think that's the next step for us and we have to we have to do that sooner rather than later. Of course, we do. Um, but, you know, I just think it's it's about trying to bring the new faces in. I know I'm part of that and it's about trying to bring out their characters and their mentality, but also dipping into the lads mentality here as well, cuz you know, bear in mind, a lot of these lads have won the Europa League as well, which isn't easy. Um, but I know they've been through a tough time in the Premier League and but I know they're really positive and that's where the manager comes in as well. >> Let's talk about the manager. Uh, while we're on him, how's he been? How how is he on the training pitch? Because I watch him on the touch line, I think, wow, he gets animated. Is he like that on a daily basis? Yeah, look, he wants he wants us to be perfect and that's what he demands every single day and um you know when it's on the training pitch he wants he wants everything that he wants to be done you know to a very high standard and he wants it perfect and he's very demanding and that's that's what he's well known as and I think that's what you know that's what we all need as well. We need somebody that's going to be as demanding as he is. We need somebody to um you know be as vocal as he is as well and a clear idea of what he wants to do and um yeah look him and his staff are working you know tirelessly and you know so they should of course they should but you know I think we're also desperate to just try and you know get the first win and and for him as well because you know there's a lot of pressure on all of us and um you know we know winds ease that pressure and um then we can really start enjoying what he wants us to do. I mean, you touched on some good performances of or bits in the game. I mean, I did the the Villa game for 35 minutes, you could have been two or three up. What do you put that down to just little bit of clinical finishing or mindset? What's it down to? Because there has been moments where you probably should have got more points on the board than what you deserve. >> No, absolutely. And like for me, it's that's the thing when you're you know what it's like, Dors, when you're on top in a football game, you have to you have to take advantage of it. And we've not been good enough at taking advantage of it. I think we Newcastle at home dominated the first half, couldn't get the goal. Ever at home dominated the first half, couldn't get the goal. >> The same with Villa and football's all about goals and and we know that and we've conceded sometimes at bad times and things like that. So, >> I just think we've all got to be a bit more we've got to be a bit more clinical. We've got to when we're on top, we've got to punish the other team and then it's about seeing out a win. You know, we've not took the lead or anything like that. So it's like you then okay okay now we need to defend leads and things like that and we've not experienced that yet. So that's the next step for us. We need to when we're on top we have to capitalize on it and then it's up to us to show if we can stay on top and that's and that's what we've not been able to show yet because we've not been able to do it. But you know I do believe that we're getting closer and closer and we now need to put the full package together. It can't just be a good 20 minutes or 30 minutes or good first half. It's got to be the full game and if we do that then I do believe the results will change. Did the international break come at the right time? >> Only time will tell. It was a long one. >> It was a long one and um you know the lads have been all over the um you know all over the world and things like that and I'm sure people have missed the Premier League but um you look I suppose only time will tell. You know obviously the Villa game was a big a big blow to us. We put a lot into that first half and we we should have been in front going into the second half that's for sure. and the the next 15 minutes was nowhere near good enough um in the second half and then we tried to fight our way back and obviously we make it 3-2 but it was you know we weren't close to getting the points we scored with the last kick of the ball so >> maybe it was what we needed maybe lads going to internationals and kind of having that break and things like that but I suppose only like I say only time will tell and we have to now show it on the pitch because we've got we've got tough games coming up >> well I'm sure you enjoyed your uh international break 100 caps wow Wow. Congratulations on that. I'm sure yourself, your family, real proud moment. When you started out as a young boy, could you ever imagine getting one cap, never mind 100? >> No, that's the thing. As a as a, you know, as a little boy running around pitches and things like that, you have this dream of playing with your country. You know, you had I had had it. There'll be young people up in Scotland now having having that same dream. And I was very fortunate enough to make it um to make that dream come true. And when I got my first cap, of course, I was hungry for more, but I thought, you know, I've just played for my country. I always remember that. I always remember that feeling. It was in Poland the way and I remember how proud my mom and dad were, my brother and things like that. They were all in the stadium and and then, you know, to now, you know, on Saturday when I got my 100th cap, it was just a it was a crazy feeling. And I'm not I think you know me well enough. I think people in football know me well enough now. I'm not one for personal accolades and personal, you know, recognition or whatever. But for me, it did really hit home on the Saturday that um, you know, what I've achieved. You know, there's only one male player before me that's been able to do that, and that's the legend of Kenny Delg. >> Did he message you? >> No, not no, but we spoke but we spoke about it just before I went. So, um we spoke about it just before I went and he kind of he preempted the um you know, well done. But yeah, I think um >> obviously hopefully in the next camp >> there's a there's a record to be broken and there's a record that I'm a bit close to. So, I'm um I'm fully expecting him to have a couple of words with me over that. I'm sure that'll be a nice message when you get that, Rob. I mean, looking forward now, five games before the next international break, go to Old Trafford on on Saturday night for Saturday Night Football. Huge game for both teams. What do you have to do to go there and pick up uh a win or or something? >> Yeah, look, it's a huge game for both teams. Like you said, you know, obviously they've not got off to the start they would have wanted either. You know, there's probably pressure on them as well, but you know, Old Trafford's never an easy place to go to. Um it's always difficult but it's important that we try and do what we've been doing in the good moments and trying to keep that for the full 90 minutes because if we if we do that then I do believe that we can cause any any team problems in in this league but it's up to us to try and >> to try and show that. So you know it's quite a quick turnaround. this is the, you know, first day that we're all back together and but it's the same for every team and >> it's important that we go there full of confidence um you know and and try and kind of treat these five games as you know a kind of you know mini league or whatever and just try and get as many points as we can because we can all say we're we're playing good for half an hour or we're playing good for 40 minutes. Our fans want to see points on the board and I think us as players want to see points on the board and you know hopefully we can start there on Saturday and that would be that would set us up good for the the next four games and you know hopefully come the next international break we're we're in a better position. We've climbed the table a little bit and the the feeling around Tottenham's a lot better. >> Let's hope so. I mean you you look I mean you've been to the heights you've done it all. I look at this squad it's been put together. When do we start seeing the best of this squad? because we know this squad isn't going to be in this position come the end of the season, but how long does it take just to all come together as a group? >> We want it as quickly as possible. We wanted it, you know, from the first game of the season that that that didn't happen and and we wanted to try and find that as quick as possible. Now, we have that same feeling. We have that same urgency. We have that same determination to to try and show that as quickly as possible. You know, we don't want to, you know, be in this position and, you know, negativity around the club and things like that. We want to try and change that. We've got a squad in there that's determined to do that. We've definitely got a manager that's determined to do that. But it's up to us at the end of the day to get the points on the board and we have to start doing that, you know, sooner rather than later. And, you know, hopefully that can start on Saturday. Well, Robbo, great to see you. I wish you all the best. Thanks very much. Always a pleasure, mate. Top man. Top man.