Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[chrisd2k]

Those "rumours" on twitter are a joke posted by "the spurs watch". No source and everyone is laying into them.

Wish I hadn't wasted 30 minutes of my life.

Conte should be doing better but Levy should be moved aside now we are running out of property development projects to run.

 

[Phil-spur99]

There’s no doubt that the squad needs heavy investment but I’m not sure I agree that it would need top-to-bottom changes regardless of who replaced Conte.

Jose, Nuno, and Conte all play counterattacking football. That is the profile of the squad we’ve built. A manager such as say, Tuchel, would need additional squad depth but not necessarily wholesale changes.

Poch, on the other hand, would require a total revamp. The board has to be willing to commit to a long, painful process if that’s the route we choose.

I’d forgotten about Tuchel but would like him if it all goes further to sh*t with Conte.

 

[nedley]

So what happens in this scenario.
Lose to Palace, Arsenal and the two City games in our next 5.

Would that be time up for Antonio?

It's quite simple. We have ONLY 2 options.

We either sack Conte now and make the best of the situation allowing whatever mug to come in and make use of the window.

FULLY back Conte with EXACTLY what he needs.

Nothing in-between.

 

[chrisd2k]

Porro and say Mckennie for example in January could have the same impact as Bentancur and Deki.

In the summer we target a world class CB, new GK, RWF understudy and if greed allows LWF understudy to Son.

That team would look so much better, both to compete and long term.

Greed? You seen him play this season? It's a necessity for me

 

[Yiddo100]

Porro and say Mckennie for example in January could have the same impact as Bentancur and Deki.

In the summer we target a world class CB, new GK, RWF understudy and if greed allows LWF understudy to Son.

That team would look so much better, both to compete and long term.

Another attacker is so far ahead in priorities for me than another CM

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

Greed? You seen him play this season? It's a necessity for me

I agree fully but we both know our club doesn't like to spend so i'm conditioned to say that.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

Another attacker is so far ahead in priorities for me than another CM

We have conceded more than West Ham this season, and they're 16th.

If you asking me we should push the boat out for a CB now instead of the summer. But that's delusional.

I would take De Vrij with a smile on my face as a stop gap mind you.

 

[chrisd2k]

I agree fully but we both know our club doesn't like to spend so i'm conditioned to say that.

Lol. Yeah feel your pain

 

[gibbospurs]

Son is 30 and is in steep decline. I don’t think he could be expected to get up and down the pitch the way he did when he was 25. Kulusevski is a hard worker but rarely lasts the full 90, and is now beginning to have muscle problems. Richarlison couldn’t stay fit in his final season at Everton and has barely been available for us this season. Romero and Sessegnon are both massively injury-prone.

It’s not just Kane, Perisic, and Lloris. We do not have a Pochettino squad IMO.

Sorry. But that just isn’t true. You saying half our squad have bodies ready to break down? Yes we’ve some injuries atm. But Kulu is always pressing whilst on the pitch. As does Richi.

 

[Jamturk]

Porro and say Mckennie for example in January could have the same impact as Bentancur and Deki.

In the summer we target a world class CB, new GK, RWF understudy and if greed allows LWF understudy to Son.

That team would look so much better, both to compete and long term.

I think a forward is the priority now, Moura appears to be finished and Bryan is not of the required standard.

The team needs another Kulu type to come in.

 

[Yiddo1982]

Are we any better or worse than where we were last January/February? Getting beaten by Wolves and Soton at home?
Nothing has changed in 12 months. Same dysfunctional system and players that aren’t good enough. Still playing your Matt Dohertys and Ben Davies. Pathetic.

 

[synththfc]

Those "rumours" on twitter are a joke posted by "the spurs watch". No source and everyone is laying into them.

Wish I hadn't wasted 30 minutes of my life.

Conte should be doing better but Levy should be moved aside now we are running out of property development projects to run.

herc just said they’re true, so not just the spurs watch.

 

[dtxspurs]

Realistically what do you think would make him happy? 2 CBs, a kulu rotation a RWB and a GK?

 

[Spursfan1414]

You might not care about Conte's past but it's 100% relevant to the discussion.

It shows what he is likely to do, IF he has the right personal to pull it off. I suspect we don't press aggressively because he doesn't trust our defence to handle the opposition if they manage to break through the press.

I mentioned Bentancur as a good example, so I don't know why you're trying to use that as a counter argument.

I don't care what Bissouma did at previous clubs I care about what he's done here

PEH is not competent in this department. He runs in circles and mostly passes backwards under pressure. He is notorious for slowing down our counters, but his goals will make you think he is useful. PEH is a purple patch player but average overall.

Conte relies on quick transitions, high pressure pressing off the ball, solidity in defence, press resistance in midfield, wingbacks to join the attack and stretch the opposition and deadly strikers. This is his philosophy and it has been across MULTIPLE formations and he's achieved success with all of them.

Being out numbered in midfield is only a problem because we don't have the right wing backs to take advantage of the extra space afforded to us on the wings because of it. I won't deny that it is a problem though, but throwing a third midfielder in there isn't the only solution to this problem. We could force their extra man wide if we had proper wing backs. This is how Conte's system usually works. And please don't say Spence, we won't know how good he is until he plays for us.

You have said nothing about our bang average defence and Hugo's clear decline.

Conte does have to mitigate the problems but He shouldn't have to adapt his entire system to suit the deficiencies of the average players. This would just open up other deficiencies. It would be better to give him the 3-4 more signings he needs, and then judge the system he employs.

Why could most of these same players achieve so much better at the end of last season under him and now all of a sudden they can't? There's so much more to this than you're giving reason too.

We can keep dissecting this if you want, I enjoy bouncing things back and forth.

But that's not the approach he's taking with us. There's no reason we couldn't press sometimes even if we can't do it for the whole match. He has the option, he's choosing not to use it.

"Multiple formations" meaning 2, 3-4-3 and 3-5-2.

I disagree, it's not just a problem because we have weaknesses elsewhere that mean even the trade offs aren't there, it's a problem in it's own right. Other elite managers are packing central midfield field with at least 3 players, some are even dropping a 4th in when the opposition has the ball, we're always going to struggle to control the midfield with just 2 players there.

Don't get me started on Spence. I saw him again today, he looks good, there's no reason we shouldn't have been bedding him in and using him given how bad we are at RWB. I'm not willing to take it on faith that this would all make sense if we saw training like Conte does.

Problem is our defence isn't performing like an average defence, it's been performing much worse. 10 out of the last 11 PL games we've conceded at least 2 goals. Aston Villa defended far better than we did today, I don't accept that that is because they have more talented individuals.

Well exactly, that's the problem isn't it? Conte came in and we improved a lot, now we've spent a load in the summer and we've gone backwards completely.

Part of the issue is that teams have had time to analyse how we play and have a better understanding of where our weak spots are. Putting an extra man in midfield and pressing us high has been effective for a lot of teams and even sitting deep has been fairly safe when we don't have Kulusevski on the pitch. Conte hasn't adjusted to this. It's more a tactical issue than that the entire squad has gotten worse.

Happy to, I do too.

 

[Cochise]

WTF is all this BS about him being backed with "x" number of players?

Lets be blunt here. We have brought in 9 players since Conte joined last year. Of those Bentancur, Kulusevksi and Perisic have been the clear first team upgrades with Richarlison and Bissouma strong squad additions. Udogie is out on loan, Forster is a back up keeper, mainly chosen for his HG status. Spence is a Levy punt whilst Lenglet was brought in on a desperate loan as we couldn't buy anyone better.

IIRC last summer we heard that more than anything Conte wanted an offensive midfielder, a starting LCB and a RWB. He got none of those. Now we are failing and people are saying our squad is much better off than last year. Son has been swapped with his twin brother, Bentancur, Deki and Richarlison are injured, Moura too. Our wingbacks are as shite as they were last year with the exception of Perisic. Dier, whom we were all clamouring for getting a starting role for England is producing error after error.

At this precise moment in time we are in the shitter. Conte cannot win right now. As others have said, the low block works for Son and Kane but not our error prone defenders, whilst a press from the front style also is not possible because Son and Kane cannot do it.

 

[GlosYid]

exactly, look what Howe has done at a mediocre Newcastle team.
over taken us

Howe has done a good job but their new owners have brought a new energy to the club from top to bottom. You can disagree with the ownership from a moral standpoint but they have ambitions of putting Newcastle back on the map. Those players know they will be swiftly replaced if they are not performing to the highest standard. This cannot be said for us under ENIC . We are a club that has gone stale.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

Realistically what do you think would make him happy? 2 CBs, a kulu rotation a RWB and a GK?

During this window? CB, RWB and at a push RWF backup.

De Vrij
Porro

These two alone drastically change the quality of our team. under 50m pounds too if you ask me.

 

[MightySpurs]

i don’t get some of you…

Conte has from day one slaughtered most of the squad, with not good enough in the media- and always asking for more signings.

it’s SHIT man-mangement.

take this conversation directly with levy.

How the hell is he expecting a tune out of the same squad he continues to disrespect in interviews?

I was all in the Conte train. Made bet’s with my friends that Spurs would compete for the title this year.

but it’s clear as day- that Conte don’t fit with Spurs- and I’m personally sick of his excuses.

play the same shit system, that even my grandmother can see is not working. (She’s by the way dead.)

top it today in his post match presser that he is satisfied with the players and their job today.

levy is also at fault, but my god- everyone expected better from him.


shit, shit football - and to stubborn to change.
Conte needs to go.

 

[mil1lion]

Realistically what do you think would make him happy? 2 CBs, a kulu rotation a RWB and a GK?

From his interview just a couple of important first team players. The most obvious positions to improve are centre back , left centre back and right wing back. I do feel a top forward would also make him happy though because Gil is not good enough and Moura is always out (and will be gone in the summer anyway).

 

[JayB]

Sorry. But that just isn’t true. You saying half our squad have bodies ready to break down? Yes we’ve some injuries atm. But Kulu is always pressing whilst on the pitch. As does Richi.

Of course I think our squad is full of injury-prone players! It’s blindingly obvious that we have major fitness problems, including with younger players such as Romero and Sess. I do think there are questions to be asked of others’ suitability for Poch’s demands as well.

I love Poch but if he comes in, we’re going to have to be patient while the squad is reshaped in his image, beginning with our two best players in Kane and Son. I really don’t think it would be a quick solution.