JerusalemMan
Jimmy McCormick
That WAS a good read.
That WAS a good read.
Kulu and Bentancur combined cost less than that. It's about getting the right players, not just throwing money at players.£70m now days is one player
What an incredible manager, in my lifetime I don't think we've had a manager with this kind of track record at the peak of his powers
Would someone be kind enough to copy and paste please?
Would someone be kind enough to copy and paste please?
Wasn't behind a paywall for me.Would someone be kind enough to copy and paste please?
Would someone be kind enough to copy and paste please?
Spurs have ultimately done just that, winning four and drawing one of their final five games to leapfrog Arsenal. During the run-in Conte has stressed to them the importance of small details, and in a broader sense has urged the club to become better at leaving nothing to chance. “A top club has to pay attention to the fixtures,” he said earlier this month about the short gap between the north London derby and the match against Burnley. This kind of jibe is a reminder that even with the improved results of the last few months it’s hardly been constantly harmonious, and Conte has still repeatedly refused to commit his future to the club (the latest example coming on Friday), but most have become used to it and accepted that this abrasiveness is just the manager’s way. And if Spurs could just get top four, then they would worry about his future at the end of the season. The focus of everyone concerned with Spurs will inevitably be on this topic in the coming days.
There are other factors that are seen as crucial to Tottenham’s turnaround under Conte. One is the way in which he has managed to keep the whole of the squad engaged. This is no mean feat given it’s very obvious what his first eleven is. But whereas the fringe players felt unwanted under Nuno, Conte has managed to foster a sense that everyone is in it together. He has done this partly through the daily meetings and video sessions that involve the whole squad and keep them invested and aware of precisely how Conte wants the team to play. Team meetings were very rare under Nuno, and Conte has been rewarded by some excellent performances in the run-in from fringe players like Davinson Sanchez and Emerson Royal.
Conte’s hands-on approach to every aspect of the club, from diet to patterns of play, has also given the squad a sense of clarity about what the manager wants from them. Everyone knows precisely what he’s asking, which is a huge departure from the muddled messaging that characterised the brief Nuno period.
Another big change from the Nuno era is how different the club’s backroom staff are, with many insiders stressing that Conte’s staff deserve a lot of credit for how this season has played out. They are said to have made a huge difference around the place and been a breath of fresh air. Conte’s brother Gianluca is just as intense and driven as Antonio, and he too is popular with the players. In general, the squad have a huge amount of respect for them because of what they’ve achieved in the game but also because of their decency and approachability. Nuno had a much smaller staff, who largely kept themselves to themselves. There’s nothing wrong with that approach necessarily, but the whole atmosphere at the club has been transformed under Conte, with players feeling like they and the coaches are completely united. Under Mourinho there was a feeling of “us vs them” among some of the players, and a concern that some of his staff weren’t at the required level.
This is simply no longer the case, vindicating the hope that Conte’s appointment would remove any excuses for the players. After finishing the season in style at Norwich, Conte said: “Despite not lifting a trophy, for me it is a big achievement. In a short period in a difficult situation I worked a lot with my players to bring this club to play Champions League. I want to consider this qualification (as being) like a trophy. In my mind, my heart, my head, I know what we did in these seven months.”
Perhaps “no excuses” will be this season’s epitaph: in a season that started after a humiliating two-month search for a manager, that then took in his sacking and the constant uncertainty surrounding his successor, Spurs were still able to get the job done.
Thank you, great article. Conte really is the most Italian man that's ever lived, he's almost a parody.Spurs have ultimately done just that, winning four and drawing one of their final five games to leapfrog Arsenal. During the run-in Conte has stressed to them the importance of small details, and in a broader sense has urged the club to become better at leaving nothing to chance. “A top club has to pay attention to the fixtures,” he said earlier this month about the short gap between the north London derby and the match against Burnley. This kind of jibe is a reminder that even with the improved results of the last few months it’s hardly been constantly harmonious, and Conte has still repeatedly refused to commit his future to the club (the latest example coming on Friday), but most have become used to it and accepted that this abrasiveness is just the manager’s way. And if Spurs could just get top four, then they would worry about his future at the end of the season. The focus of everyone concerned with Spurs will inevitably be on this topic in the coming days.
There are other factors that are seen as crucial to Tottenham’s turnaround under Conte. One is the way in which he has managed to keep the whole of the squad engaged. This is no mean feat given it’s very obvious what his first eleven is. But whereas the fringe players felt unwanted under Nuno, Conte has managed to foster a sense that everyone is in it together. He has done this partly through the daily meetings and video sessions that involve the whole squad and keep them invested and aware of precisely how Conte wants the team to play. Team meetings were very rare under Nuno, and Conte has been rewarded by some excellent performances in the run-in from fringe players like Davinson Sanchez and Emerson Royal.
Conte’s hands-on approach to every aspect of the club, from diet to patterns of play, has also given the squad a sense of clarity about what the manager wants from them. Everyone knows precisely what he’s asking, which is a huge departure from the muddled messaging that characterised the brief Nuno period.
Another big change from the Nuno era is how different the club’s backroom staff are, with many insiders stressing that Conte’s staff deserve a lot of credit for how this season has played out. They are said to have made a huge difference around the place and been a breath of fresh air. Conte’s brother Gianluca is just as intense and driven as Antonio, and he too is popular with the players. In general, the squad have a huge amount of respect for them because of what they’ve achieved in the game but also because of their decency and approachability. Nuno had a much smaller staff, who largely kept themselves to themselves. There’s nothing wrong with that approach necessarily, but the whole atmosphere at the club has been transformed under Conte, with players feeling like they and the coaches are completely united. Under Mourinho there was a feeling of “us vs them” among some of the players, and a concern that some of his staff weren’t at the required level.
This is simply no longer the case, vindicating the hope that Conte’s appointment would remove any excuses for the players. After finishing the season in style at Norwich, Conte said: “Despite not lifting a trophy, for me it is a big achievement. In a short period in a difficult situation I worked a lot with my players to bring this club to play Champions League. I want to consider this qualification (as being) like a trophy. In my mind, my heart, my head, I know what we did in these seven months.”
Perhaps “no excuses” will be this season’s epitaph: in a season that started after a humiliating two-month search for a manager, that then took in his sacking and the constant uncertainty surrounding his successor, Spurs were still able to get the job done.
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