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Antonio Conte - officially NOT the coach of THFC

Finney Is Back said:
He is better than Harry Winks by a clear margin and probably actually a better player than Skipp at present. Difficult to judge any player that has to play alongside Winks as the way that Winks is constantly wrong side of his man when the opposition get the ball means whoever partners him is having to try to cover the whole of the centre of midfield by themselves.

I read a stat online tonight that Winks lost 8 out of 8 duels and was dribbled past 5 times (more than the rest of the Spurs team combined). It is impossible to try to partner a player that bad in a two man midfield.
Click to expand...


Winks needs moved on asap. He's coming across to me as an entitled little git.
I think skipp is a great player with huge potential, he has an intelligence and selflessness just now that I don't think peh will ever have.
 
https://www.football.london/tottenh...esults/every-word-antonio-conte-said-23256322

What are your thoughts on the defeat?

I feel that we lost a good chance to go through to the next round and to play the quarter-final in an important competition like the FA Cup. I think this. There is for sure disappointment for the final result. I think this type of game, especially when you play away and against a team who have played in the Premiership, you have to know the difficulty and for this reason you have to try to kill in a sporting way the opponent quickly.

I think we have had the chances to score but we didn't take it and then you give confidence to your opponent, then you risk. At the end Middlesbrough won the game and they deserve to go to the next round. Great compliment to them, the manager and the players because I think they played very well.

Did you feel that Middlesbrough out-fought you?


I think that we should kill the game before. I repeat, when you play this type of game, from the start you have to kill the game, you have to kill your opponent. Your opponent has to feel that tonight it will be a bad night. Instead we kept Middlesbrough alive and after time then for sure they take confidence and then they created chances to score.

We had to take good learn about this defeat and continue to work because there is only one way to continue to work and try to avoid these up and downs. I always say we have to become stronger and if we want to become competitive then we have to be a stable team.

Too many up and downs still for us and for sure we have to continue to work very hard and try in the future to learn about this defeat.


How difficult is it to be sat here on March 1 and have no opportunity to win a trophy this season?

But we have to continue to work and to know that there is the opportunity to work and to know that there is the rest of the season.

There are three months and a half to work, to work very hard and get the best result and for the team to see at the end of the season which is our position in the table.

There is only this way and for sure we have to continue to work and to improve in many aspects. We can improve.

But for someone like yourself, how difficult is it to have no trophy to compete for?

But in this moment I'm the last person, I don't think about myself. When I speak with my players and in my team and say that we have to think about 'us', not 'me'.

For me no problem and for me there is the desire, the will, the patience to try to continue to work very hard to improve, to make this team more stable than the past, because I think this is the key that can change the situation.

You've been so up and down as a team, how do you instil that stability in the team?

I try every day through the work. Also sometimes to speak. For sure in this type of situation you need to find the right key to go into the mind of the players, because it's not only sometimes a tactical problem or a technical problem.

Sometimes you have to try to work and to push in other aspects, the mental aspects and try to stay focused and to work also on the training sessions, to keep focusing.

I know that it's very difficult because to be focused in every moment of the training, of the game is not easy. But if we want to be competitive in the future, these aspects we have to improve a lot.

Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest to keep you up to date with everything happening at Hotspur Way.

From the latest transfer news to those glorious wins in north London and beyond! There might even be a laugh or two too.

Subscribe, download and listen to all of the episodes so far and those to come at: Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spreaker, Spotify, Acast or another provider.

Do you question yourself after a game like this as you did after the Burnley match?


Sometimes it's important for the coach when you have a media conference, behind our press conference has to be a strategy. Sometimes you have to be strong, sometimes light. My old coaches in Italy, especially Carletto Mazzone taught me that the coach sometimes has to use the carrot, sometimes the stick. I have to try the right way at the individual moment. After Burnley, I used the stick and we won!

After Leeds, the carrot we lost. I repeat: the coach has to try to find always the best solution, not because you're upset, frustrated and disappointed. At every moment the situation has to be very clear. I know there's a lot of space for improvement for this team and we have to try to be more stable. Tonight we showed that we have a lot of space for improvement in this aspect.

Is this squad strong enough to go to the next level?

I'm the coach of this team and when you have a coach and your players are the best in the world, it's the same. For sure, I cannot consider my players the best in the world but we work to improve for the future and to try to reflect also on this defeat. For sure, this defeat has to hurt us - me, the players and everyone that works in Tottenham.
 
Lilbaz said:
What?

Ok he's not as good a player as we want in the midfield. But no idea where that comes from.
Click to expand...

You've not seen him have stinkers like tonight and throw a hissy fit at anyone around him that makes a mistake?
He did it tonight at one of the corners in the first half, shouting at the defence and throwing his arms around like a petulant 8 year old.
Collective responsibility, something else we lack. It's always someone else's for.
 
DeanoAustin said:
Potter is overrated on here. Good manager and I like Brighton but they've had some very ropey results and have even been booed at home.

Conte is a top manager. Look at his record. While I don't think he covered himself in glory tonight and his public utterances grate on me a bit, we have to give him the tools in the summer. If we do, he'll do well here.
Click to expand...

Given his record it's hard to argue he's not a top manager.

I know I sound like broken record but I have had this unshakable feeling since his appointment that he is the wrong man for us and where we are with this squad at the present time. Imho we need a Hassenhutl or Potter type manager now; managers who are tactically flexible and who take mediocre players and fashion teams that are better than the sum of their parts. I agree with the poster who said Harry would probably do better with this squad right now. Conte is an elite manager who suits an elite team. Not Spurs 2022.
 
Bullet said:
https://www.football.london/tottenh...esults/every-word-antonio-conte-said-23256322

What are your thoughts on the defeat?

I feel that we lost a good chance to go through to the next round and to play the quarter-final in an important competition like the FA Cup. I think this. There is for sure disappointment for the final result. I think this type of game, especially when you play away and against a team who have played in the Premiership, you have to know the difficulty and for this reason you have to try to kill in a sporting way the opponent quickly.

I think we have had the chances to score but we didn't take it and then you give confidence to your opponent, then you risk. At the end Middlesbrough won the game and they deserve to go to the next round. Great compliment to them, the manager and the players because I think they played very well.

Did you feel that Middlesbrough out-fought you?


I think that we should kill the game before. I repeat, when you play this type of game, from the start you have to kill the game, you have to kill your opponent. Your opponent has to feel that tonight it will be a bad night. Instead we kept Middlesbrough alive and after time then for sure they take confidence and then they created chances to score.

We had to take good learn about this defeat and continue to work because there is only one way to continue to work and try to avoid these up and downs. I always say we have to become stronger and if we want to become competitive then we have to be a stable team.

Too many up and downs still for us and for sure we have to continue to work very hard and try in the future to learn about this defeat.


How difficult is it to be sat here on March 1 and have no opportunity to win a trophy this season?

But we have to continue to work and to know that there is the opportunity to work and to know that there is the rest of the season.

There are three months and a half to work, to work very hard and get the best result and for the team to see at the end of the season which is our position in the table.

There is only this way and for sure we have to continue to work and to improve in many aspects. We can improve.

But for someone like yourself, how difficult is it to have no trophy to compete for?

But in this moment I'm the last person, I don't think about myself. When I speak with my players and in my team and say that we have to think about 'us', not 'me'.

For me no problem and for me there is the desire, the will, the patience to try to continue to work very hard to improve, to make this team more stable than the past, because I think this is the key that can change the situation.

You've been so up and down as a team, how do you instil that stability in the team?

I try every day through the work. Also sometimes to speak. For sure in this type of situation you need to find the right key to go into the mind of the players, because it's not only sometimes a tactical problem or a technical problem.

Sometimes you have to try to work and to push in other aspects, the mental aspects and try to stay focused and to work also on the training sessions, to keep focusing.

I know that it's very difficult because to be focused in every moment of the training, of the game is not easy. But if we want to be competitive in the future, these aspects we have to improve a lot.

Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest to keep you up to date with everything happening at Hotspur Way.

From the latest transfer news to those glorious wins in north London and beyond! There might even be a laugh or two too.

Subscribe, download and listen to all of the episodes so far and those to come at: Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spreaker, Spotify, Acast or another provider.

Do you question yourself after a game like this as you did after the Burnley match?


Sometimes it's important for the coach when you have a media conference, behind our press conference has to be a strategy. Sometimes you have to be strong, sometimes light. My old coaches in Italy, especially Carletto Mazzone taught me that the coach sometimes has to use the carrot, sometimes the stick. I have to try the right way at the individual moment. After Burnley, I used the stick and we won!

After Leeds, the carrot we lost. I repeat: the coach has to try to find always the best solution, not because you're upset, frustrated and disappointed. At every moment the situation has to be very clear. I know there's a lot of space for improvement for this team and we have to try to be more stable. Tonight we showed that we have a lot of space for improvement in this aspect.

Is this squad strong enough to go to the next level?

I'm the coach of this team and when you have a coach and your players are the best in the world, it's the same. For sure, I cannot consider my players the best in the world but we work to improve for the future and to try to reflect also on this defeat. For sure, this defeat has to hurt us - me, the players and everyone that works in Tottenham.
Click to expand...

Great interview. fudged it on the last question. But oh well.
 
Robspur12 said:
Given his record it's hard to argue he's not a top manager.

I know I sound like broken record but I have had this unshakable feeling since his appointment that he is the wrong man for us and where we are with this squad at the present time. Imho we need a Hassenhutl or Potter type manager now; managers who are tactically flexible and who take mediocre players and fashion teams that are better than the sum of their parts. I agree with the poster who said Harry would probably do better with this squad right now. Conte is an elite manager who suits an elite team. Not Spurs 2022.
Click to expand...

I feel the opposite. Think he's exactly what we need to wake the club up. Telling them what we need and ensuring it will be delivered. 18 month contract being one. Get the summer right or i can walk.

We've seen glimpses of how he wants us to play. It's beautiful. We get the right players in, it could be special.

Does it mean he doesn't make mistakes, or tinkle us off in interviews? Ofcourse not.

It's his first season though. How did fergie or klopp get on in theirs?
 
Lilbaz said:
I feel the opposite. Think he's exactly what we need to wake the club up. Telling them what we need and ensuring it will be delivered. 18 month contract being one. Get the summer right or i can walk.

We've seen glimpses of how he wants us to play. It's beautiful. We get the right players in, it could be special.

Does it mean he doesn't make mistakes, or tinkle us off in interviews? Ofcourse not.

It's his first season though. How did fergie or klopp get on in theirs?
Click to expand...
Fair enough.
 
Robspur12 said:
Given his record it's hard to argue he's not a top manager.

I know I sound like broken record but I have had this unshakable feeling since his appointment that he is the wrong man for us and where we are with this squad at the present time. Imho we need a Hassenhutl or Potter type manager now; managers who are tactically flexible and who take mediocre players and fashion teams that are better than the sum of their parts. I agree with the poster who said Harry would probably do better with this squad right now. Conte is an elite manager who suits an elite team. Not Spurs 2022.
Click to expand...

I don't really agree with you but you may well be proven right - yours is a valid argument. It does come down to ENIC backing him for me - it's brick or get off the pot time. Conte will not make this group successful - he needs better.

If a Potter or Hassenhutl are the only way forward, we've got to be prepared for some pretty ropey results. Personally, I rate both but Potter lost 3-0 at home to Burnley recently and was fighting relegation last year while Hassenhutl has had some very poor spells with Southampton as well as two 9-0 tonkings. If they get appointed, we are well and truly saying we don't think we can compete for the top prizes in my book because those guys will get us top 4 at best and they'll still need to reshape the squad to do that. I'm not even sure they can take these lads and make them any better. You may also have to write off Harry and maybe some others because there really is nothing for players of his quality hanging around for a Potter or Hassenhutl.

Levy's in a bind here. The only way he can get success relatively quickly is with this manager and by backing him. All other roads lead to a trophyless future and if he doesn't back Conte in the summer, the relationship will combust spectacularly.
 
Robspur12 said:
Given his record it's hard to argue he's not a top manager.

I know I sound like broken record but I have had this unshakable feeling since his appointment that he is the wrong man for us and where we are with this squad at the present time. Imho we need a Hassenhutl or Potter type manager now; managers who are tactically flexible and who take mediocre players and fashion teams that are better than the sum of their parts. I agree with the poster who said Harry would probably do better with this squad right now. Conte is an elite manager who suits an elite team. Not Spurs 2022.
Click to expand...

Well put sir. He doesn't look like a good fit for us at the moment. Even his current lack of enthusiasm on the touchline and his general body language when we are struggling in games doesn't seem to me like he is the Mr Motivator sort of guy we need at the current time. He also seems tactically very one dimensional which is strange for someone with his track record.
 
Pirate55 said:
Well put sir. He doesn't look like a good fit for us at the moment. Even his current lack of enthusiasm on the touchline and his general body language when we are struggling in games doesn't seem to me like he is the Mr Motivator sort of guy we need at the current time. He also seems tactically very one dimensional which is strange for someone with his track record.
Click to expand...

I don't think he as tactically one dimensional as some here. Being somewhat one dimensional tactically is quite common among top managers imo. Some flexibility, but within set parameters.

The squad still lacks balance and that is further magnified when we have a couple important players missing.

The lack of rotation I don't quite get, but that seems to be his style. Particularly when we're short on quality options.

Out of all cups and not that many games in hand left may do him and us a lot of good in terms of league form.
 
Lilbaz said:
I feel the opposite. Think he's exactly what we need to wake the club up. Telling them what we need and ensuring it will be delivered. 18 month contract being one. Get the summer right or i can walk.

We've seen glimpses of how he wants us to play. It's beautiful. We get the right players in, it could be special.

Does it mean he doesn't make mistakes, or tinkle us off in interviews? Ofcourse not.

It's his first season though. How did fergie or klopp get on in theirs?
Click to expand...
It’s his first 4 months TBF
 
DeanoAustin said:
I don't really agree with you but you may well be proven right - yours is a valid argument. It does come down to ENIC backing him for me - it's brick or get off the pot time. Conte will not make this group successful - he needs better.

If a Potter or Hassenhutl are the only way forward, we've got to be prepared for some pretty ropey results. Personally, I rate both but Potter lost 3-0 at home to Burnley recently and was fighting relegation last year while Hassenhutl has had some very poor spells with Southampton as well as two 9-0 tonkings. If they get appointed, we are well and truly saying we don't think we can compete for the top prizes in my book because those guys will get us top 4 at best and they'll still need to reshape the squad to do that. I'm not even sure they can take these lads and make them any better. You may also have to write off Harry and maybe some others because there really is nothing for players of his quality hanging around for a Potter or Hassenhutl.

Levy's in a bind here. The only way he can get success relatively quickly is with this manager and by backing him. All other roads lead to a trophyless future and if he doesn't back Conte in the summer, the relationship will combust spectacularly.
Click to expand...
Btw by Harry I meant Redknapp rather than Kane.
 
Robspur12 said:
Given his record it's hard to argue he's not a top manager.

I know I sound like broken record but I have had this unshakable feeling since his appointment that he is the wrong man for us and where we are with this squad at the present time. Imho we need a Hassenhutl or Potter type manager now; managers who are tactically flexible and who take mediocre players and fashion teams that are better than the sum of their parts. I agree with the poster who said Harry would probably do better with this squad right now. Conte is an elite manager who suits an elite team. Not Spurs 2022.
Click to expand...


In the summer i was dead set against him, as you say not the right fit.
Now, now i think he is the best manager we could have.
This club needs a shake up, from top to bottom.
If we really are serious about challenging for anything then we need to change our attitude because it stinks, it stinks to high heaven.

This season alone we had a chance to win a European trophy, threw it away. Against the mighty mura and vitesse.
We had games in hand that could see us challenge Chelsea for third. Didn't turn up, now we're seventh and wondering where our next win is coming from.
And then out played by a championship side to go out of the f a cup.
None of which is exactly unusual for us.
If Conte works we will challenge.
If he doesn't he will leave and he will leave us in no doubt where the failings are.
At very least he will be a boot up the behind this club needs.
 
braineclipse said:
I don't think he as tactically one dimensional as some here. Being somewhat one dimensional tactically is quite common among top managers imo. Some flexibility, but within set parameters.

The squad still lacks balance and that is further magnified when we have a couple important players missing.

The lack of rotation I don't quite get, but that seems to be his style. Particularly when we're short on quality options.

Out of all cups and not that many games in hand left may do him and us a lot of good in terms of league form.
Click to expand...


Do we have many options to rotate with players up to the standard needed?

Can’t really rotate CM due to injury

Could potentially bring in Sanchez/Rodon - but they are poor

Doherty hasn’t played much football so shouldn’t be to tired, same with Sess

Can’t drop Kane as we have no options

Son for SB maybe ?
 
Legohamster said:
Do we have many options to rotate with players up to the standard needed?

Can’t really rotate CM due to injury

Could potentially bring in Sanchez/Rodon - but they are poor

Doherty hasn’t played much football so shouldn’t be to tired, same with Sess

Can’t drop Kane as we have no options

Son for SB maybe ?
Click to expand...

Bergwijn is the obvious one. Could have started instead of Kulusevski for Leeds and Son for Boro.

Taking off a key player or two earlier wherry 3-0 up against Leeds was also an option.

Less obvious options also exist like either moving Dier or Romero to midfield. Or
playing a midfield three including White. Particularly for a FA cup game against a Championship team.

Clear potential downsides to those less obvious options of course. Perhaps that would be even worse. May be that Conte was spot on. But this is a predictable outcome of close to zero rotation.

I guess the "gamble" was that we would "kill them early" before our players faded. That's always a fairly low probability outcome. With our backup plan being that players somehow wouldn't tire or that we could nick a win or hang on for penalties?

I would heve preferred the "gamble" of one of the less obvious options.
 
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