Antonio Conte - officially NOT the coach of THFC

[Mr Gogolak]

This all makes sense, if he had a long contract and was trying to save his job. But he knows he's gone and he doesn't even want to be here.

But I don't know him either so, on the flip side, he might be thinking "I'm going to get you to finish in the top 4, even if I'm outta here" purely to make a point and for his stint at Spurs to not be that much of a stain on his career. I get that managers and players at this level need to have an incredible amount of self-belief, but what will allow them to stay at this level is also some level self-awareness, so they can focus on their weaknesses and continue to get better.

One of the guys I played with as a teenager was absolutely convinced he'd make it to the very top of the game. He turned out to have a decent career at the top level in Croatia but he probably thinks he should have won the World Cup or that Croatia would have won if they'd call him up. Maybe it's different from one country to the next and it certainly changes from one generation to the next but I was truly amazed at how some of these guys thought they were bullet-proof. This guy's compass was that he was the absolute best football player of his time and I know for a fact that others had exactly the same mindset.

It's also the only way to make sense of some of the behind-the-scene clashes that are reported every season. For instance, what's the point of blasting Conte in the media if you're Richarlison? It's not very clever, is it? If you compare that to your everyday job, nobody would be dumb enough to go to the coffee machine and shout at the top of the their lungs 'my boss is a dingdong'. Same thing happened during the World Cup with a guy (in the France team, maybe) whose wife kept posting angry messages on social media because her man wasn't playing. That's hardly going to help but these guys, they work differently. I strongly believe they're closer to politicians than what most people think.

 

[elltrev]

Formations and more than that instructions are killing this side.

Take Son, he is having a mare of a season, but at the same time he is being constantly called in to midfield areas to receive the ball with his back to goal, and he is fudging awful at it. That’s got effect his confidence, to the extent that even with things that he is good at, he isn’t doing.

I think people are underestimating the feel good factor as well.

there is none.

The team is given instructions to play slowly pass back, move the ball around and the opposition out of position before attacking. It’s actually playing to our weaknesses which is criminal with who we have up top.

What I don’t get is why Son had his best season ever last year, in the same formation.

 

[DTA]

What I don’t get is why Son had his best season ever last year, in the same formation.

I would say different instructions he wasn’t been asked to receive the ball with his back to goal.

or if I’m wrong about that and he was last season with success , then the opposition has countered that by pressing him quickly and in numbers, which he just can’t deal with.

If so it’s on the manager to identity this and counter the oppositions counter

 

[glasgowspur]

What I don’t get is why Son had his best season ever last year, in the same formation.

And he wasn’t great at the WC as i recall

 

[Grays_1890]

Formations and more than that instructions are killing this side.

Take Son, he is having a mare of a season, but at the same time he is being constantly called in to midfield areas to receive the ball with his back to goal, and he is fudging awful at it. That’s got effect his confidence, to the extent that even with things that he is good at, he isn’t doing.

I think people are underestimating the feel good factor as well.

there is none.

The team is given instructions to play slowly pass back, move the ball around and the opposition out of position before attacking. It’s actually playing to our weaknesses which is criminal with who we have up top.

I said a while back there was a distinct inability of the club and manager to realise that Son is probably mentally, physically and emotionally knackered (it was clubs idea to go to Korea), Tours, WC pressures and then another season where he is playing every minute of every game. Regardless of what anyone thinks of Richy the Son of old is obviously absent and has not be handled well when he clearly needs a rest. There is no coincidence that he came on with a game stretched without the pressure of starting and did well lMO. We can talk till the cows come home but Conte squad management this season has been utterly appalling where last season it was the complete different. Then again he made a concerted effort to cut the squad numbers, I was working there and it was said (at the time) that he wanted to work with a smaller functional squad rather than have the options of Ndombele and Lo Celso etc "better to go without than have them as options" was the comment made to me by someone. I get that as Ndombele was a disruption at the time but is that a sign that Conte thinking is rigid? Purely speculation on my part but it would explain his reticence to try new, would certainly explain his die on your sword loyalty to some of the pap we have seen this season.

Im in no way saying the depth is spectacular but its been proven to be positive and fresh when tried at times, I said earlier in the season that he was in some cases backing the wrong horses and would pay for it and seems thats the case

 

[Baleforce]

this is a nice watch

plenty of examples of Son involved in the build up, our half, facing his own goal

his issues are not down to the system imo

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I don't think we would sack Conte on his first game back.
Isn't there an international break coming up as well?

Yep

 

[Lemonade Money]

this is a nice watch

plenty of examples of Son involved in the build up, our half, facing his own goal

his issues are not down to the system imo

Shhh! Someone said it, and someone else thought it sounded clever. Don't ruin it!

 

[fernadez]

Fatigue surely with Son. When's the last time he had a actual break from football or being the most popular person in a nation?

After a few games this season we could have rested him and it wouldn't have raised an eyebrow. Between Kulu, Son Gil and Richy was enough bodies to keep everyone fresh, play the personnel high on confidence and rest those not performing.

 

[Raziel]

this is a nice watch

plenty of examples of Son involved in the build up, our half, facing his own goal

his issues are not down to the system imo

What video did you watch? no idea what you and @LemonadeMoney are talking about

I just looked at the first 35 goals in that video, not a single one of the first 35 were Son with his back completely to goal (with a defender on him) which is how he's been asked to play this season and was how he received the ball multiple times again Milan. 30 were Son facing the opposition goal, typically already running, 5 were questionable, him a little sideways, more shaping his body and typically he was in open space .. couldn't be arsed to watch the rest, it's very clear the main years of their partnership have nothing to do with Son receiving a ball with his back to goal (and it doesn't work because his first touch is often a bit brick, something you get away with when you knock it down in front of you in the direction you are running)

It is the tactics, along with probably some fatigue and a lack of confidence that bricky tactics fudging with your natural playstyle brings ..

 

[DeanoAustin]

Fatigue surely with Son. When's the last time he had a actual break from football or being the most popular person in a nation?

After a few games this season we could have rested him and it wouldn't have raised an eyebrow. Between Kulu, Son Gil and Richy was enough bodies to keep everyone fresh, play the personnel high on confidence and rest those not performing.

I called this earlier in the season and I'm more convinced of it now...he's lost a fraction of a second of the quickness in his feet and it's fatal for him because his whole game hinged on it. The ability to step over quickly and buy half a yard, the ability to get the shot away quickly. He's just ever so slightly slower and he can't get away with it at this level.

I hope to GHod I'm wrong because I love the guy and, if I was making the decisions, I'd keep him out of loyalty to see if he can prove me wrong. But I won't be surprised if Sonny is finished as a top level forward.

 

[Mr Gogolak]

I called this earlier in the season and I'm more convinced of it now...he's lost a fraction of a second of the quickness in his feet and it's fatal for him because his whole game hinged on it. The ability to step over quickly and buy half a yard, the ability to get the shot away quickly. He's just ever so slightly slower and he can't get away with it at this level.

I hope to GHod I'm wrong because I love the guy and, if I was making the decisions, I'd keep him out of loyalty to see if he can prove me wrong. But I won't be surprised if Sonny is finished as a top level forward.

That's a tad harsh (the 'he's finished' part, of course): he's played almost two seasons without a break and the winter World Cup hardly did anyone any favours. Like you said, he deserves a chance to prove you wrong but he definitely needs a long rest away from football.

Funny thing is that Mourinho is that it turns out that Mourinho actually leaves his players a lot more freedom than Conte does. At the end of the day, he's the manager who got the most out of the Son/Kane partnership. That's where you realise tactics play an important role: that partnership is almost a non-factor now. It was so different a couple of years ago...

 

[Grays_1890]

First interview I have seen with Conte where he has a look like he wanted to be here at the club and clarified himself in a positive way TBH. At least he admitted that he needs to improve, the team needs to improve and the spirit is not good and needs to improve

 

[DeanoAustin]

That's a tad harsh (the 'he's finished' part, of course): he's played almost two seasons without a break and the winter World Cup hardly did anyone any favours. Like you said, he deserves a chance to prove you wrong but he definitely needs a long rest away from football.

Funny thing is that Mourinho is that it turns out that Mourinho actually leaves his players a lot more freedom than Conte does. At the end of the day, he's the manager who got the most out of the Son/Kane partnership. That's where you realise tactics play an important role: that partnership is almost a non-factor now. It was so different a couple of years ago...

I could be wrong and mine is a very definitive judgement based just on my interpretation of what I'm seeing. I've been spectacularly wrong on many things like this in the past - I really hope the above statement is rammed down my throat at some point.

 

[90291Spur]

Fatigue surely with Son. When's the last time he had a actual break from football or being the most popular person in a nation?

After a few games this season we could have rested him and it wouldn't have raised an eyebrow. Between Kulu, Son Gil and Richy was enough bodies to keep everyone fresh, play the personnel high on confidence and rest those not performing.

Son’s only recent break from football was after the breaking of the bones in his eye socket.

 

[DubSpur]

I called this earlier in the season and I'm more convinced of it now...he's lost a fraction of a second of the quickness in his feet and it's fatal for him because his whole game hinged on it. The ability to step over quickly and buy half a yard, the ability to get the shot away quickly. He's just ever so slightly slower and he can't get away with it at this level.

I hope to GHod I'm wrong because I love the guy and, if I was making the decisions, I'd keep him out of loyalty to see if he can prove me wrong. But I won't be surprised if Sonny is finished as a top level forward.

Pretty much my view as well. He's in decline physically and that has impacted his confidence as well. I'm hoping that it's just fatigue or carrying some injury that is the reason for the apparent decline, but the longer it goes on...

 

[Dicko]

'Richarlison didn't criticise me'

Tottenham v Nottingham Forest (Sat, 15:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte on Richarlison's comments criticising him over the striker's lack of playing time this season: "First of all I watched the interview of Richarlison and he didn't criticise me.

"He said my season is a "****" and he is right because his season is no good because he had a lot of injury. He started well with us, he then had injury and went to World Cup and had another injury, serious, he come back and stayed one month out.

"He score zero goals with us (in the Premier League), only two goals in the Champions League and the guy was really honest to say his season was not good.

"Then you ask me for the rest of the interview? I think (the) guy understood he made mistake because when you speak with I, I and I, not 'us'. It means you are thinking only about yourself and you are selfish.

"I repeat to my players, if we want to build something important, fight for something important, fight to be competitive and win a trophy, we have to speak with 'we'.

"If we speak I, I and I, we are only thinking about himself. The guy understood very well and apologised, which is good because I had an opportunity to clarify for another time the spirit of the team."

 

[Dicko]

'Am I ready now to die for this club? Yes'

Tottenham v Nottingham Forest (Sat, 15:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte on speculation over his future at the club: The club knows very well which is my situation, which is my thoughts. If I have to become the person to take as a target. No. I am not this person.

"We need time and patience. I understood that here the patience is finished for the fans, for the environment and then we will see what happens in the future.

"I am not so stupid to kill myself. If you ask me now am I ready now to die for this club? Yes. Until the end I am ready to die for this club. But I am not so stupid to kill myself."

 

[Dicko]

'The club knows me, I know the club'

Tottenham v Nottingham Forest (Sat, 15:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

More from Tottenham manager Antonio Conte on his situation at Spurs: "You know with the club we signed a contract, a strange contract one-year-and-a-half. Usually you sign for three years but I think it was for the club and for myself to see the situation.

"For the club to understand my personality, my capacity as a coach and for me - from my side it was the same. To understand if we were on the same page. Now after one year and a half, the club knows me, I know the club and it is clear this situation.

"We have to finish the season and then we will see. The club knows very well my thoughts. I am ready to die for this club until the end of the season."

 

[Dicko]

Spurs 'aspire to be competitive'

Tottenham v Nottingham Forest (Sat, 15:00 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manger Antonio Conte on his side's ambitions: "In this moment, the most important thing is to be focused on the league.

"You know what is my opinion, what is my desire. I say to you a lot of times about the situation that I have found, and we aspire to be competitive to fight to win. I repeat this for a long time."