Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[JacoZA]

I'm not as convinced Conte goes as others are if I'm honest. He still has people fighting his corner and saying he should have the kitchen sink thrown behind him as we really need to break this cycle. If the big hitting players are behind him I can't see Levy pulling the trigger if I'm honest.

Been thinking the same. This part especially made me wonder:

I’m really upset and everyone has to take their responsibility. Not only the club, the manager and the staff. The players have to be involved in this situation because it is time to change this situation if Tottenham want to change. If they want to continue in this way, they can change the manager, a lot of managers, but the situation cannot change. Believe me.

If he gets sacked, some might argue that this is an indication that the board do "want to continue in this way". Puts Levy and co in a tricky situation.

 

[YB123]

On 70 minutes the game was won and then Conte decided to go 541 low block and invite the pressure that in the end told.

Yh but in terms of commitment, I didnt see the team pushing to win the game earlier. 3-1 was undeserved.

 

[Stamford]

Widely reported that Conte likes Dier and wanted him to sign an extension though, hardly the mark of a player who's seeing off coach after coach.

So who else have you got? Kane and Son are not the problem. LLoris is not as good as he was but has always been a model pro. Sanchez has rarely played under Conte. Davies was raved about by Mourinho and has been reliable under Conte.

It's just a narrative that does not hold up at all when you start actually looking at the names that are still here. Conte and Mourinho got themselves fired, there was a countdown on Nuno from day 1, Poch is the only one you can argue this for and even then, it's not the players' fault we didn't replace enough of the squad at the time.

I didn't bring up Dier the other poster did. The squad has seen off another manager and are allowed to get away with it and you think the fault lies squarely with conte? In which case the team will improve long term under a different manager. We don't buy enough quality and the mentality stems from the ownership down. Two decades of evidence support that

 

[Hawkey77]

See I do wonder if things just haven't become a bit too comfortable for some of our players. They are very pampered at Hotspur way and I do question how much pressure is put on them to get results from the very top.

Some aren't going to like this but I'll say it anyway.....

I'm not as convinced Conte goes as others are if I'm honest. He still has people fighting his corner and saying he should have the kitchen sink thrown behind him as we really need to break this cycle. If the big hitting players are behind him I can't see Levy pulling the trigger if I'm honest.

Something 100% needs to change though, and they all really need to get on the same page either way with or without Conte.

Assuming you mean ‘right now’ rather than in the summer. I would be sympathetic to that if I thought there was a long term game plan at play. Rip out the club from the inside, leaving only those true fighters behind etc. but if he’s off in a few weeks anyway, it seems like it could cause untold damage but not have the long term benefit. Sure, the international break for most players will put some distance between the quotes and when they’re back face to face, but I sort of feel like if the board back Conte here then they might as well/should come out publicly and state that and why. That might then have a lasting impact.

 

[max cady]

With the players off on international duty and Conte I presume on holiday I doubt we will see or hear anything this week. But you never know

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

With the players off on international duty and Conte I presume on holiday I doubt we will see or hear anything this week. But you never know

The non international players are due back tomorrow so I’d very much expect Conte to be back then too. It’s an incredibly bad look for him to call out the players as being selfish and lacking desire only to take an extended break and leave the coaching to somebody else…

 

[DiVaio]

Lloris (Last 4)
Sanchez (Last 4)
Tanganga
Dier (Last 4)
Davies (Last 4)
Hojbjerg
Lucas (Last 4)
Sess (Last 4)
Son (Last 4)
Kane (Last 4)


Also on the books

Winks (Last 4)
Ndombele (Last 4)
Rodon
Lo Celso (Last 4)
Regi


Bit more than a handful......

Sessegnon who played 15 minutes for Poch
Tanganga who played 66 minutes for Poch
Davies, Dier and Lucas who were backups in 19/20 for Poch
Lloris who's now injured, was injured in last month when we didn't even win any of 5 PL games before Poch was sacked
Davinson who was one of the most used player then, but he played 39 minutes of PL football since the restart.

So it's basically Kane and Son lol

 

[max cady]

The non international players are due back tomorrow so I’d very much expect Conte to be back then too. It’s an incredibly bad look for him to call out the players as being selfish and lacking desire only to take an extended break and leave the coaching to somebody else…

Hopefully he be taking an extended break very soon

 

[YB123]

Sessegnon who played 15 minutes for Poch
Tanganga who played 66 minutes for Poch
Davies, Dier and Lucas who were backups in 19/20 for Poch
Lloris who's now injured, was injured in last month when we didn't even win any of 5 PL games before Poch was sacked
Davinson who was one of the most used player then, but he played 39 minutes of PL football since the restart.

So it's basically Kane and Son lol

Sess was new thats fair. So no problem, hes part of 3 sackings in 2 years then.
I ever included Tanganga under Poch so incorrect.
Davies Dier Lucas. I'm sorry forgot football squads are only 11 players you prefer to start.....
Lloris his club captain and number one got injured for a few games so on that basis any injured player isnt responsible. Thats incorrect again..
Sanchez has played enough minutes under 4 managers to warrant inclusion, cup competition performances this season? Again its a squad, dont pick and choose 11s.
Kane and Son for me have plenty of credit in the bank.

The loan buys were more than responsible for other managers.

 

[Scot-Spur]

They do say it only takes a few bad apples to spoil the bunch. Whether that is old or new players, they aren’t performing well enough. We have spent money but it is the scattergun approach that is hurting us.

The buck stops at the top for me and for as dull and boring as Conte has made our football it goes above him. We have been in a downward spiral since Poch left and it has to stop. Conte was dead right in his words, we have become accustomed to failure. Whether he was saving his skin or not I don’t care, it needed said and hopefully it kick starts a major overhaul.

 

[Stoof]

See I do wonder if things just haven't become a bit too comfortable for some of our players. They are very pampered at Hotspur way and I do question how much pressure is put on them to get results from the very top.

Some aren't going to like this but I'll say it anyway.....

I'm not as convinced Conte goes as others are if I'm honest. He still has people fighting his corner and saying he should have the kitchen sink thrown behind him as we really need to break this cycle. If the big hitting players are behind him I can't see Levy pulling the trigger if I'm honest.

Something 100% needs to change though, and they all really need to get on the same page either way with or without Conte.

Trix do you think it’s come to the point where even if he is backed to the extent he himself requires, people (match-day going fans) won’t tolerate his idea of football anyway?

It really is a dismal day out at the moment.

 

[FinnYid]

You're missing the point which is we need to change the culture of the club to fit the winning manager

Well if it's about fitting in a checkbook manager like Conte who can only compete with big fat checkbook and leave on eurofootball fronts, then change of culture = takeover and become sportswashing machine for dirty money. That is the only way we will fit Conte.

And the change of culture we need is shift from plying after trophies like a petulant child to trying to be the best we can on our resources. Maybe then we will actually hire a suitable manager. And eventually even win a thing someday.

he's managed some of the best clubs in the world

And has European record that looks like he managed PSV and Sporting there instead, maybe Dinamo Zagreb.

 

[TOLBINY]

See I do wonder if things just haven't become a bit too comfortable for some of our players. They are very pampered at Hotspur way and I do question how much pressure is put on them to get results from the very top.

Some aren't going to like this but I'll say it anyway.....

I'm not as convinced Conte goes as others are if I'm honest. He still has people fighting his corner and saying he should have the kitchen sink thrown behind him as we really need to break this cycle. If the big hitting players are behind him I can't see Levy pulling the trigger if I'm honest.

Something 100% needs to change though, and they all really need to get on the same page either way with or without Conte.

I've said it for years Trix;

London club so you live and work in one of the worlds most popular capital cities
Facilities / working environment is second to none
Wages are decent
High profile club
You are not expected to out-perform your competitors - so no real pressure - turn up when you feel like it

What's not to like? Cosy, cosy Tottenham Hotpsur!

 

[IamSpurtacus]

He's undone about 7 managers' worth of poor performance in just over half a year with some good recruitment while improving a core part of the team deemed not good enough, i.e. Rashford and Fred.

Conte did the same last year

We beat city last year away for the first time in god knows how long - and we deserved it

His reward, having proved himself? "Just missing out" on his top targets, and being given cast offs and second rate alternatives in key positions

Same pattern with every manager we've had

 

[Trix]

Assuming you mean ‘right now’ rather than in the summer. I would be sympathetic to that if I thought there was a long term game plan at play. Rip out the club from the inside, leaving only those true fighters behind etc. but if he’s off in a few weeks anyway, it seems like it could cause untold damage but not have the long term benefit. Sure, the international break for most players will put some distance between the quotes and when they’re back face to face, but I sort of feel like if the board back Conte here then they might as well/should come out publicly and state that and why. That might then have a lasting impact.

Call it an educated hunch, but imo if he thought he was going to be fully backed he'd stay on.

I'll just clarify for all the net spend activists out there, it means giving him the final decision of who comes and goes, not that he wants gazillions to spend. Porro, Bentancur and Kulusevski were not break the bank signings and he has thrown all 3 straight in. This bollocks that he only wants ready made world class players is just that, bollocks. Those 3 cost the same-ish as one Jack Grealish, and less than Enzo Fernandez.

 

[THE SPURSBOY]

Trix do you think it’s come to the point where even if he is backed to the extent he himself requires, people (match-day going fans) won’t tolerate his idea of football anyway?

It really is a dismal day out at the moment.

100% this, his football is dire and wont get better with 2 CB's that can play a bit, the midfield will still be overloaded and we'll be defending all the time to hope for a break away

 

[Ghost Hardware]

See I do wonder if things just haven't become a bit too comfortable for some of our players. They are very pampered at Hotspur way and I do question how much pressure is put on them to get results from the very top.

Some aren't going to like this but I'll say it anyway.....

I'm not as convinced Conte goes as others are if I'm honest. He still has people fighting his corner and saying he should have the kitchen sink thrown behind him as we really need to break this cycle. If the big hitting players are behind him I can't see Levy pulling the trigger if I'm honest.

Something 100% needs to change though, and they all really need to get on the same page either way with or without Conte.

Whilst I think it’s encouraging that some of the board realise this I still find two issues with it. One being everybody knows Conte is off at the end of his contract. I know you never know for certain but at this point I’m not sure I can see him actually wanting to stay even if the board get behind him now.

And secondly my issue is with Conte. If he feels some players aren’t fighting then why doesn’t he drop them and play some kids. It might well end up in a loss but at this point why not make a statement to his players, he’s got nothing left to loose. I think every fan would like to see the team fighting again and I think most fans would get behind him dropping some of the pampered stars for a the younger hungrier players. Otherwise each week it’s the just the same story again and again.

Idk, I find it hard to see Conte coming back from this because he is just not in a position of strength as far as the players are concerned. Ether way like you say something has to change.

 

[TOLBINY]

I accept that Conte appears to prefer a safety first approach to the game (he has said if you cannot win make sure you do not lose) and so the football is more turgid than swashbuckling. However some of the goals we have scored under him have actually been really good passing and moving goals (not just counter attacks) and we are the third highest scorers in the Prem, and that's with us playing $h!t most games. Just imagine if we could implement Conte's system well!

 

[Scot-Spur]

I personally want him to continue and heck even fire out some more truths until then end of the season. Hopefully those higher up heed his message then part ways in the summer and clean the decks.

Some short term pain for the long term gain.

 

[FinnYid]

And the thing I find the most amusing about that is that the same posters saying they'd rotate for that game are also saying he threw the game with his team selection.

Most amusing is that we lost to reserve team of Nottingham Forest. They changed 9 players from previous PL fixture.