What looked capable of going wrong did go wrong on Saturday, but the mood remains upbeat at Spurs.

Tottenham were brought firmly back down to earth on Saturday.

A chastening start to the Premier League season ended with a 3-0 defeat away to Brentford, serving as a sharp reality check.

After an expensive summer in the transfer market, hopes were high going into the new season. But up against Brentford’s experience and intensity, Spurs were second best.

Roberto De Zerbi’s team were unable to cope with Brentford’s relentless press, and the Spurs head coach admitted afterwards that a disrupted pre-season had left his side short of physical readiness.

The display, from erratic defending to mistimed and disjointed pressing, lacked any real fluency as Spurs started four debutants, while £85million summer arrival Mateus Fernandes was introduced from the bench.

Jan Paul van Hecke was one of five players making his debut on Saturday.

Spurs looked like a group unfamiliar with each other as they went 3-0 down within 49 minutes, with De Zerbi later saying his side are not yet a team.

“I think we are not a team yet, for a lot of reasons,” De Zerbi said in his post-match press conference. “Yesterday (last Friday) in the press conference, when you asked me what is the target, we can fix the target when you become a team. Before becoming a team, we can't say what we can do.

Without trying to excuse the performance of his players, De Zerbi pointed to the central problem Spurs must tackle in the weeks ahead.

Following a summer of major change, his squad will need time to develop understanding and chemistry.

“You can't become a team for the transfer market window,” he continued.

“You become a team with the players. They find the connection between them, they find the spirit, they find the soul.”

With players returning late after the World Cup, and with De Zerbi choosing to carefully manage the fitness of James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie and Fernandes, the side that started against Brentford is unlikely to start together again.

Spurs need only look at Brentford last season to see that one poor performance does not have to define what follows.

Mikey Moore is expected to go out on loan, while Spurs are aiming to sign Manchester City pair Omar Marmoush and Savinho in the next few days as they seek to reshape their attack.

Further changes are anticipated, which means more disruption is likely as well. Even so, that should not come as a shock. Spurs were never going to turn into a winning machine overnight after finishing 17th in the Premier League in back-to-back seasons.

De Zerbi remains relaxed. He has faith in his players and in the direction the club is taking, but he has urged patience.

He understands this project needs time, and he accepts that his side will have to “suffer” at certain points this season.

There is work required in every department. The defence that lined up against Brentford included three debutants and 20-year-old Archie Gray, who, despite making history as Spurs’ youngest-ever captain, is not a natural right-back.

The midfield pairing of Lucas Bergvall and Sandro Tonali found it difficult to plug the spaces, while Brentford physically dominated Spurs’ forward line.

Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong on Saturday, but De Zerbi hopes the display will serve as a wake-up call.

In reality, Spurs only need to look at Brentford, who were 3-0 down at half-time against Nottingham Forest on the opening weekend of last season, to recognise that one bad performance can be put behind them.