Tottenham Hotspur ended the weekend sitting in the relegation zone, following their defeat at Sunderland and West Ham’s win against Wolves.
Former England captain Wayne Rooney felt Spurs' performance was "a bit flat" in the north east, which prevented them being able to have a new-manager bounce in Roberto de Zerbi's first game in charge.
"Sometimes you get a bounce but I think you get that when a new manager comes in and you are front-footed and aggressive on the ball," he said on The Wayne Rooney Show. "I thought they were a bit in between."
The ex-Premier League striker added that De Zerbi "needs to find some answers quickly" and that dropping to the Championship would be disastrous for the club.
"It will be a disaster for them if they do go [down]," said Rooney. "I think that's where some of those players probably are looking at it thinking if they go down they can move on and go to a different club.
"If they don't get back in the Premier League in the first year, that will be an absolute nightmare for them."
Tottenham have not won a Premier League match in 2026 and their next game is at home to Brighton on Saturday 17:30 evening.
Rooney feels they must figure out a way to win to help boost their confidence.
"If they can do that then they give themselves a chance. The longer it goes without winning is difficult for them."
Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds
