Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[the yid]

If the team was playing well and trying then you know the manager is doing something but when you get a performance like that every week then it's a problem.

What has Conte been doing for the 6 weeks during the WC? The players that didn't go look worse now. Wasnt he meant to be coaching? There were people saying our slow start to the season is because we are preparing for a post WC run of form when everyone else will be tired. It's all bollocks. Conte has everyone fooled. Make no mistake, he coaches, he manages, and the team form and style is a reflection of him.

Is there a team that we are better than anywhere in the world? We make everyone look like champions.

Same players that haven't played well and looked us shit as that under how many managers now 4 or 5?

 

[chrissivad]

1 question I have for all the people blaming Conte.

Who do we blame in a years time when the new managers losing a lot of games because Lloris, Dier, Davies, Doherty, Hojbjerg etc are making mistakes? And our back up attacking options are Bryan Gil and Lucas Moura?

Hopefully the next manager (when ever that's is) doesn't put them in the starting line up and we can sell them.

We have played multiple combination of players across the back line and wing backs and still making mistakes and have no movement.

If it was just 1 or 2 players struggling you can say they aren't getting what Conte wants or can't perform to that level. But it's everyone. There is mistakes all over the pitch.

I really do believe that Conte doesn't have the players he need (on Levy and Paratici), Cont not being flexible with how we play or able to get his vision across clearly, and some players not good enough.

 

[rossdapep]

Yeh he’s saying 5th is the highest we can achieve unless he gets new players.

A clear ultimatum to the board IMO

Conte is probably the best coach we could have right now, in regards to exposing ENIC.

He's telling us all that they are happy to settle for 5th if we don't invest.

What we all knew.

Conte doesn't sugarcoat things and won't give vague answers when pressed.

His Spence comments when we signed him were a warning.

 

[PeeEyeEmPee]

Exactly.

Too much doubt.

Will Conte stay?
What kind of coach do we want if he goes?
What kind of players are we signing? Prospects Or ready made winners?
What right back do we want?

The club need to remove all doubt and commit to a plan.

Because appointing Conte and saying you want to win only to sign young prospects is not a consistent strategy

Lenglet, Bissouma, Bentancur, Perisic, and Richarlison are young prospects?

 

[IamSpurtacus]

True, but we were in a European competition last season - playing a relatively senior squad. And our recent performances can’t be blamed on Europe, when we haven’t had a European games for months.

We got binned in Europe in Dec 2021

Our season transformed after we bought in deki and bentacour and had a game a week

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

My god we need investment so badly.

We need the right investment, that's the most important thing.

 

[the yid]

Hopefully the next manager (when ever that's is) doesn't put them in the starting line up and we can sell them.

We have played multiple combination of players across the back line and wing backs and still making mistakes and have no movement.

If it was just 1 or 2 players struggling you can say they aren't getting what Conte wants or can't perform to that level. But it's everyone. There is mistakes all over the pitch.

I really do believe that Conte doesn't have the players he need (on Levy and Paratici), Cont not being flexible with how we play or able to get his vision across clearly, and some players not good enough.

Been the same for those same players under so many managers.

 

[dagraham]

I'd admit defeat under ENIC too.

Imagine you are a winner and you tell them what is required to win, only for them to tell you it's not possible.

We aren't fucking paupers, this club could back Conte the way he wants. they just don't want to.

My thoughts would be "Why the fuck am I here then?"

Jose, Poch.....listen to what the coaches have said over the years.

One person puts this club under such restrictions and kerbs any positive thoughts of ambition.

I'd be fucking exhausted dealing with that.

Not sure it’s just one person ( although replacing Levy would be a good start).

We need completely new owners imo with a desire for on field success the number 1 priority.

Can’t see it happening unfortunately, so I guess we’re stuck with this shit.. which is why sadly I find myself caring less and less by the year.

 

[srups34]

What the fuck is this statement? He's admitting defeat?

No he's telling the truth. We aren't good enough to be challenging for trophies.

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

The only real alternative is an oil team, but at that point I’m out due to ethical reasons.

Arsenal are not an oil team.
Liverpool are not an oil team.
Chelsea are not an oil team.
Man United are not an oil team.


When you don't have the most money, then you have to be smarter with how you spend the money. On the football side - Levy has not been smart with how he has spent the money over the years.

But ultimately - the teams that win - do so because winning is an objective of their owners. Winning is not the primary objective of ENIC/Levy.

Change the culture from the top, and we can compete in the league. As long as we are comfortable bragging about a new stadium, and training grounds, we will fall short.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

Exactly that

He's not lying though by any means.

 

[newbie]

No he's telling the truth. We aren't good enough to be challenging for trophies.

But getting destroyed by villa and Brentford(we had 20 minutes where we played) ? We are not that bad either

 

[cjsimba]

This really is the biggest crossroads we have faced as a club under ENIC.

This result could be massive in steering the direction of the club for the next couple of decades.

Trying to see the positive and hope it kicks Levy up the arse to realise that if you want success then half measures just won't cut it any more. It's clear to see. Question is - are ENIC that bothered about success. HUGE couple of weeks coming up.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

Arteta finished 8th in back to back seasons. They were playing tippy tap stuff in front of defenses, constantly getting the ball wide slowly and crossing 4 billion times a game with no success. Defensive errors with David Luiz and Kolasinac and the likes. Nearly the entire fan base wanted him gone. He was allowed to get rid of those he thought weren’t good enough or toxic presences, and he was allowed to build a team in his image even through Arsenal’s worst period in forever. He was allowed to make mistakes (signing Willian for example, making Auba captain/massive contract) and then fix them (terminating their contracts). He was backed unequivocally by the board and club even though they had every right to sack him; 9 out of 10 Arsenal fans would have if they had the power to do so during numerous points over a 2 year span. Arteta was not getting results AND the football was shit for 2 FUCKING YEARS!!!!! Now look where they are. The club made a choice and stuck with it through few ups and many downs. They had to endure fan abuse and had to be resilient to give someone they believed in plenty of time to make an impact.

I believe Conte is the answer. There’s evidence to agree with and disagree with me. But the point is, this club has to pick what it wants to be right now (Like seriously right now as we’re at the beginning of an important transfer window). Back the current manager who has proven his method wins major trophies even if that means signing older/more expensive players and giving him exactly the tools he needs to win. Or get a longer term manager and let them build the team in their image and buy/develop younger players, even if that means winning arrives further down the line. If we choose the latter route, allow this manager to work through difficulties which might mean finishing lower in the table for multiple years, enduring a poor brand off football as the manager starts to build the team in his image, or both. What I won’t accept is this halfway shit the club is doing. Hire Conte? Fine, back him with the financial power we now have. This isn’t old WHL anymore. We now have the financial clout to back someone who wants older/more expensive players. Let him do whatever the fuck he wants. Hire project manager? Fine, let him do whatever the fuck he wants and build something. Let him get rid of Kane, Son, whoever and let him work. Hire a manager in between the two extremes? Fine, let them do whatever the fuck they want. But I’m sick to death of this inconsistent vision of the club. Pick a plan and stick to it. Don’t hire Conte then proceed to not back his vision fully. Same thing goes with Poch, Pep, or fucking Big Sam. If the club wants to stick to it’s more sustainable model of buying young, then go get a manager who can work within that model, but let them go about it however they want. When it comes time to take the next step and buy bigger players, let them. If the club wants to stick with Conte, then do whatever he wants even if it deviates from their normal model. Don’t hire Conte then say “nah you need to compromise and work within our vision of youth”. Because then whoever the manager is, we’ll eventually reach the stage where they get frustrated when the club interferes and then he leaves/is sacked. Conte isn’t without blame, but the club chops and changes way too much. I just want a coherent plan that members of the club top to bottom agree to follow and stick to no matter what, because whatever the club is doing now is the opposite of that it seems. Make a plan and make sure the owners, manager, players, etc. are on the same page. And they need to decide on that plan now.

If you want to shag just ask, I will say yes.

 

[Oscar22]

After Mourinho got sacked it should have been the time to start something new. If we were run properly in terms of the football club we should have had a complete overhaul of everything behind the scenes. We should be investing much much more in the academy, we should be scouting the globe for gems to develop at the best training complex in the world and created an overall philosophy of how we want to play from academy to first team and appointed mangers to fit that. Right now we in a spiral of dumb shit from recruitment to academy to first team to manger appointments and I don’t see it getting any better.

You’re right, I made a post quite a while ago about how the club just doesn’t line up in terms of what it’s trying to achieve.

We take a former world champion racing driver on, then give him a lada Riva to win with.

We need to do one or the other, you either have managers like Conte, and spend large money on ready made, ready to go players. Or, you go the youth route and have younger players, a conveyor belt academy and bring in a younger enthusiastic manager who really wants to be here to over see the project.

We’ve spent too many years now claiming we’re doing both. What we now have is a manger who doesnt match the profile of the players we buy, doesn’t promote youth, and doesn’t want to bring in prospects and play them.

Yet we won’t pay the money for the players someone like Conte wants, and certainly not at the rate he wants them bought at.

I think this is why there’s such a disconnect with the fans now too, the club have spent a long time telling people that they will do all of the above, for the highest cost season tickets around, but they are actually achieving none of it.

 

[Sophos151]

Conte is probably the best coach we could have right now, in regards to exposing ENIC.

He's telling us all that they are happy to settle for 5th if we don't invest.

What we all knew.

Conte doesn't sugarcoat things and won't give vague answers when pressed.

His Spence comments when we signed him were a warning.

Conte has said this kind of thing at every club he’s been at, including Abramovich-era Chelsea. He’s a complainer who’s never satisfied.

I don’t think any manager in England has had as much financial backing as Conte has over the last year.

 

[arunspurs]

We had no resources to play any formation.

We have 1 healthy legitimate attacking option - Kane, and even he looked to be just going through the paces today.

Bryan was industrious, but Son has been out of form all season. Bentancur and Hojbjerg are the joint second highest scorers on the season FFS.

I don't think Conte had many legitimate options today - but worryingly, he did not seem to be able (or willing) to get more from the players today.

Why do we have to play 3 CBs , 2 CMs when Villa were playing back 6.
Its a easy cop out to say we had no resources to play any formation.

Did we need 3 CBs till the end ?
Problem was midfield, Villa 2nd goal is the evidence. No tracking or screening.

If this was a attacking performance from Villa - I hear you. They parked the bus for 70min, there was no reason to stick to back3. No reason to end the game with Romero, Davies, Lengelet, Sess, Emerson, Spence. No reason not to bring on Sarr or Skipp well before 70min. Yes, agreed we didnt have attackers, but we did have CMs.

What did Conte do the change the game ? Tell me. Saying he didnt have options is not answers. In previous games too, even when he had options, Conte never showed any inclination to change the formation.

I find it odd that people think its taboo to blame Conte. No body should get a free pass. Everyone should be accountable. Saying Conte cannot be blamed is not reasonable.

 

[PeeEyeEmPee]

Which players have done it under 4 managers? That's just hyperbole. Son, Kane,Lloris on this pitch today?

Precisely. We've bought 10 or so players in the last year alone, 5 or 6 of which are starter quality, and people still come out with the "it's the same team that's failed successive managers" crap. Do we need to have a completely brand-new team before we can expect better?

 

[talkshowhost86]

I think Conte can he great if we give him the players he needs. But he's not going to improve anyone with coaching. So it's now imperative we spend lots of money or we sack him. And I suspect we'll go with option 2

 

[bat-chain]

ENIC would never back a manager in the way Arsenal have backed Arteta. We've read that a lot in the last few days.

But in that time how many times have Arsenal’s fans called for him to be sacked, plenty. Arteta has needed 'just one more player' multiple times and now they are there. They had to go through pain and so do we.

Without the right players Arteta is a chump, just like Conte or any manager. Conte may be flawed his tactics not the perfect fit but with Kulu and Bentancur today doesn’t happen.

Don't shit the bed, let him rebuild the squad completely.