Andy Robertson identifies mindset shift Tottenham need after difficult start

Andy Robertson believes Tottenham must stop carrying the disappointment of their previous seasons if they are to recover from another difficult Premier League start.

Spurs enter the three-week international break bottom of the table with two points from five matches despite spending more than £300million during Roberto De Zerbi’s major summer rebuild.

Their first league goals of the campaign finally arrived against Aston Villa, but late strikes from Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke were not enough to prevent a 3-2 home defeat.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast on Disney+, Robertson suggested the psychological impact of successive 17th-place finishes remains visible within the squad.

“Maybe we're still guilty of carrying that weight of last season on our shoulders,” Robertson said.

The former Liverpool defender believes Tottenham’s reaction to setbacks has been particularly noticeable.

He pointed towards the recent Liverpool game, when Spurs played well in periods but visibly dropped after conceding before recovering their confidence once they scored.

Against Everton, Robertson felt Tottenham controlled much of the match before becoming increasingly anxious towards the end.

“We need a little bit more of forgetting about the past and how we need to move forward,” he said.

Robertson is one of several summer additions without the baggage of Tottenham’s previous two league campaigns.

The 32-year-old arrived on a free transfer after nine years at Liverpool and revealed De Zerbi played a direct role in convincing him to make the move.

“I spoke directly to the manager,” Robertson explained. “We had a couple of video calls over the summer. He's super ambitious.”

De Zerbi wants his new arrivals to help change the mentality around the squad, although Robertson accepts improvements need to translate into results quickly.

Tottenham have already shown encouraging periods under the Italian, but consistency remains the problem.

Robertson believes a little luck could help change the mood, but his main message is about mentality. Spurs cannot allow conceding a goal or reaching the closing stages of a tight match to immediately bring back the anxiety created by the previous two seasons.

The three-week international break gives De Zerbi valuable time to work on Tottenham’s response to their difficult opening five matches.

Spurs return with a trip to Manchester United, where Robertson and his teammates will have another opportunity to demonstrate the mentality change he believes is necessary.