Tottenham's expensive rebuild begins with familiar collapse

LONDON, Aug 22 : Tottenham Hotspur's lavish close-season spending failed to disguise familiar shortcomings as they opened their Premier League season with a 3-0 drubbing at Brentford on Saturday.

After successive 17th-placed finishes and a last-day escape from relegation in May, a spending spree that is set to go past £300 million ($409.08 million) was supposed to have the North London club challenging the elite.

On the evidence of Saturday's performance, however, Spurs first need to focus on closing the gap on teams like humble Brentford - the brilliantly run West London club who outplayed them at a rocking Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford offered another example of what continuity and smart recruitment can achieve, Keith Andrews' side looking cohesive and confident despite operating on a fraction of Tottenham's budget.

Bolstered by impressive record signing Mamadou Sangare, who set up the second goal for Vitaly Janelt, Brentford looked capable of surpassing last season's ninth-placed finish.

Spurs manager Roberto de Zerbi included four new signings in his starting lineup - record buy Sandro Tonali, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson - while £85 million midfielder Mateus Fernandes made his debut after the break.

But they looked bereft of ideas and were comprehensively outplayed and outfought, failed to have a shot on target in the first half and should have lost by a wider margin.

Italian De Zerbi saved Tottenham from the drop in his seven games in charge last season and has been handsomely backed.

Brazilian winger Savinho is expected to arrive to bolster the attack from Manchester City, whose forward Omar Marmoush is also being pursued. Yet however many players Spurs bring in, De Zerbi knows the basics must