Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[fishhhandaricecake]

If we move quickly we could replace Conte with a more modern thinking and progressive manager

Roy Hodgson is apparently available

Failing that get Capello or Big Sam on the blower.

 

[neogenisis]

tick tock tick tock

 

[idontgetit]

If you play negative, grinding football that sucks the enjoyment out of the game and burns players out emotionally then there's not much chance of it working at a club who's mottos are "The game is about glory" and "To dare is to do".

After Pochettino burned out we needed a manager to bring the enjoyment back into the club and for the club to intelligently invest big money into fixing the defence which originally had been the foundation on which Poch had built his success. Instead we brought in two "winners" to try nick some silverware but who play negative, grinding football that sucks the enjoyment out of the game and burns players out emotionally. We failed to fix the defence and still heavily rely on the likes of Dier, Sanchez and Davies while also spending long periods of time with miserable full back options.

To compound that failure to fix the defence, both managers played to our weakness in defence rather than to our strengths in attack. Add in the fans becoming progressively turned off or even hostile to the lack of attacking footy and you get a toxic spiral.

Also I'll add, Conte clearly favours a system with 3 CB's and two wingbacks but we barely have one top class CB and had awful wing-back options at the time we signed him. What's the point in signing him if you're not willing to buy at least a couple of top class CB's and get in excellent wing-backs?

We needed to replace Alderweireld, Vertonghen and Rose and we'd never really effectively replaced Walker. If playing five at the back then we needed another top class CB on top of those. So far we replaced Vertonghen and only just this January effectively replaced Walker. There's no Alderweireld replacement, no 3rd CB (unless you consider Lenglet good enough) and the proper Rose replacement will come in next year to take over from a past-it Perisic (fair fucks to him for the banger today though).

If I'm Conte coming into the club I'd be straight up saying we'll keep Dier and Davies as squad players, sell all of the other defensive non-starters regardless of how much of a loss you make and put it into funding two more top quality CB's and two top quality wing-backs. One of the CB's needs to be the intelligent, experienced type that can lead the defence and the others can learn from. At least one of them has to be very good on ball with great distribution. It has to happen across a couple of windows max because I will not be here waiting for it to happen for five years. Do it otherwise fuck you I'm not interested.

But again, that's why it was a mistake hiring a manager obsessed with five at the back.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

It's his job to change the mentality. Thus far, he has failed.

It’s his job to change Levy’s mentality? How do you figure that?

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Obviously our incompetent board, who time & time again, lead us down this path.

Our "board" is really just Levy.

 

[karsten_finkle]

Should have fucked him off before Xmas... complete dickhead.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

If you play negative, grinding football that sucks the enjoyment out of the game and burns players out emotionally then there's not much chance of it working at a club who's mottos are "The game is about glory" and "To dare is to do".

After Pochettino burned out we needed a manager to bring the enjoyment back into the club and for the club to intelligently invest big money into fixing the defence which originally had been the foundation on which Poch had built his success. Instead we brought in two "winners" to try nick some silverware but who play negative, grinding football that sucks the enjoyment out of the game and burns players out emotionally. We failed to fix the defence and still heavily rely on the likes of Dier, Sanchez and Davies while also spending long periods of time with miserable full back options.

To compound that failure to fix the defence, both managers played to our weakness in defence rather than to our strengths in attack. Add in the fans becoming progressively turned off or even hostile to the lack of attacking footy and you get a toxic spiral.

Really great post

 

[Oscar22]

Then you’re not listening to what he’s saying. He’s saying a manager can only do so much because there is a glass ceiling at the club implemented by those above. It’s like going into a fight with one hand tied behind your back, it doesn’t matter who our manager is. I could understand your perspective that he’s deflecting blame and all that if it was the first time but there’s 20 years of evidence to support his claim. How many managers have we broken?

We’ve had plenty of managers over the last 10-15 years. They’ve all come with different reputations at different points of their careers and inherited different squads. They all left at the same point. Being competitive and around the champions league spots but not able to take the next step. They’ve all since criticised the way the club was run in restricting them to make the next step. Only difference is Conte is doing it whilst he’s still in the job.

I do honestly get what you’re saying, and I’ve never denied the bigger problem is the board, Levy and the shot show that is our absolutely rudderless idea of where we are trying to go and what we are trying to achieve - my point is that yes, perhaps the board does tie one hand behind your back, but with Conte, his entire mentality to being here, the way he talks about the players he is meant to be working with, the way he sets us up, his tactics, everything about his management…. Just ties his second hand behind his back as well.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

No, he's not spot on, because it was precisely his job to change things. And he hasn't. Either it's the club's fault because it shouldn't have appointed him in the first place (something nearly everyone was happy about at the time), or it's his fault for failing. Can't have it both ways.

More fog. No he hasn't changed things. So how does that help? He's failed. He deserves to go, he needs to go. There. But big fucking deal. His job, the last managers job or the one before him, fuck it., the next one too. They'll all fail. But all you're doing is making it about something else.

He was spot on with what he said. You can couch it however you like and it doesn't change that. He was spot on.

 

[TheVoiceofReason]

Bye bye Antonio

don’t let the door hit you when you leave.
**** of the highest order

has to be relieved of duties tonight if Levy wants to have any credibility left

Credibility? Give me a break. Conte is a serial winner, that’s credibility. We are a joke.

 

[Dave1882]

More I hear and see, I’m actually talking myself back round. Football and results have been awful. But he’s hitting nail on head tonight!!!

 

[13VanDerBale13]

Our "board" is really just Levy.

Well yeah, because Joe Lewis never shows his face, either way, Levy needs to be told / shown, enough is enough

 

[chrisd2k]

He's just missing a big pile of coke on that table.

You win

 

[Thenewcat]

No point in him doing interviews then if you'll just outright dismiss anything he says.

Given he threw the team and the owners under the bus in no uncertain terms, I’ve no idea how you can even defend him at this point. I want levy out but Conte can fuck off, he’s done a shit job this year and now he’s acting like an absolute tool

 

[freeeki]

More I hear and see, I’m actually talking myself back round. Football and results have been awful. But he’s hitting nail on head tonight!!!

Same, I wanted him out last week.

Off the back of that presser I want Levy to fuck off and hand Antonio the keys and chequebook.

 

[neogenisis]

More I hear and see, I’m actually talking myself back round. Football and results have been awful. But he’s hitting nail on head tonight!!!

He addressed the elephant in the room, so you want him to stay and serve shit up for longer as long as he tells the truth.

 

[ilikeost]

How can you think the club isn't the problem at this point? And I don't mean the fact that it's purely that we are Tottenham; that view is just bollocks; of course we (Tottenham) can be successful. I mean the structure within the club, the chairman, the recruitment, and everything that enables the manager to be successful?

Mourinho AND Conte. Both failed here. Successful EVERYWHERE else.

I 100% agree with the idea that Levy and the club management is at fault but at the same time think Conte is making it worse. Mourinho and Conte are the wrong type of managers for Spurs. Levy fucking up another appointment is on him, but what can we do about it beyond not spending money on the club (and I did that years ago)?

 

[richard_gleeson]

Carragher has said we should put him out of his misery and sack him tonight, as he clearly wants to get sacked

 

[freeeki]

I 100% agree with the idea that Levy and the club management is at fault but at the same time think Conte is making it worse. Mourinho and Conte are the wrong type of managers for Spurs. Levy fucking up another appointment is on him, but what can we do about it? Beyond not spending money on the club (and I did that years ago).

Because they win things?

 

[Navin R Johnson]

I am not his biggest fan, but I think he should stay, there is a plan to refresh the squad and if he wants to stay he can fix it, the passion is certainly there

There's always a plan to refresh the squad, I was on a spurs message board at the turn of this century (Splodgy if anyone can remember back that far) and the there were talks around renaming it, the favourite option was Another False Dawn. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.