Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[Rosco1984]

Have to agree with @mpickard2087 in that it's not the tactics but the execution.

For the first 25 minutes of the game yesterday I really was not worried at all. Marseille went man for man in a press and with us dropping our midfielders and defensive line back it left acres of space both in behind and between their midfield and backline for us to exploit. We fluffed so many opportunities to take advantage of this in the first 25 minutes but I just thought it was matter of time before we got it right and punished them. Unfortunately from about 25 minutes we got even more careless with the ball and with our forwards losing pretty much every single battle we really struggled in that period.

Second half we came out and immediately we looked much better on the ball. We were just that little bit sharper, took more care in possession and stopped trying to force things that weren't really there. You might look at that game and say Marseille were in control but they were ripe for picking off which we did pretty much straight after half time by getting Son in behind and forcing the red card.

Totally agree the tactics are pretty obvious we don't keep possession for the sake of it. If we can get it forward early and accurately we do before we look to play safe. This leads to a lot of quick transitions and we don't dominate the ball at times because of this. First half against Marseille there we so many occasions where some quick interplay between Son, Kane and Richarlison was half a yard off of coming off and creating a chance instead we yielded possession and were then solid enough to not really give them a sniff other than a snap shot from distance, In the second half the same tactic created the red card and the space opened up in the same way it would have done if one of the first half moves that were half a yard off had of come off with a goal. People used to be just as frustrated under Poch when we passed the ball around for hours as the opposition sat in behind it. Its football it doesn't always work the way you planned but our plans pretty effective at the moment

 

[$hoguN]

To those not enjoying the football (succinctly summed up by someone above as because the ball being in our half more often than the opponents) with our 5-4-1 11 men behind the ball when opponent has possession at midfield, I have this counter perspective to offer >>>

when was the last time we watch a spurs team and are totally unworried or indifferent about the opponent trying to attack us?

I noticed that my heart rate is a lot slower during match days when we don’t have the ball nowadays; where before every time opponents attack us, we fear conceding. Nervy defending galore. (spursy as well)

we are so solid at the back now, our players have cut out errors and panicky scrambling by and large and 0.08xg conceded just validated what the eyes and heart rate already showed us - we are damn tough to break down / concede against

AND, on top of this solid defensive base / block, we also know that every time we turn possession over or build up from the back, any moment that our opponent loses concentration or shape or errors of judgment, we can “kill the opponent in a sporting way” and score, so potent is our attack.

and this is before even Sonny or Kane gets to form!

this is all credit to Conte.

Sanchez not conceding a goal in 10 over hours.
Sonny being top scorer
Kane Son top epl combination ever

We also know from historical stats that title winning teams concede the least or 2nd least goals while being in top 3 goals scored and we are well on our way to this stat

What is there not to understand / like?

I think people enjoy individual brilliance. Bale destroying a full back and driving through, VDV shifting it through a players legs and smashing a goal in are seen as signs that we are doing well. A clear plan and ability to score even when we aren’t playing well as we have a system that allows us to create ch aces and convert them aren’t seen as that by some

 

[kmk]

 

[EastUpperDK82]

Conte: I visited palace to pay respects​

Speaking ahead of Tottenham's return to action at Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday, manager Antonio Conte told reporters he had visited Buckingham Palace on Friday to pay his respects to the Queen after her death the previous day.

He said: "What happened in the last few days in England is something extraordinary. On Thursday, we were all saddened, we are talking about a person whose service for this country was outstanding.

"At the moment, there is a lot of sadness in the country and feeling this atmosphere in London, I went to Buckingham Palace on Friday like a normal person - because I am a normal person - to live in the situation.
"For sure, we will remember this for the rest of our lives, and I wanted to give condolences from me, my players and the club to the Royal Family.

"Then, football has to go ahead, and it will, but I think the Premier League made an important decision to stop football and show great respect for the Queen.

"To live in this moment is a sad moment, but a special moment. She was 96 years old, and honestly for me, it was very difficult to believe that she had died – in your mind, you feel like she is immortal.

"I’ll keep that situation, living in London at the time, in my heart and mind for the rest of my life."

 

[thelak]

Conte: I visited palace to pay respects​

Speaking ahead of Tottenham's return to action at Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday, manager Antonio Conte told reporters he had visited Buckingham Palace on Friday to pay his respects to the Queen after her death the previous day.

He said: "What happened in the last few days in England is something extraordinary. On Thursday, we were all saddened, we are talking about a person whose service for this country was outstanding.

"At the moment, there is a lot of sadness in the country and feeling this atmosphere in London, I went to Buckingham Palace on Friday like a normal person - because I am a normal person - to live in the situation.
"For sure, we will remember this for the rest of our lives, and I wanted to give condolences from me, my players and the club to the Royal Family.

"Then, football has to go ahead, and it will, but I think the Premier League made an important decision to stop football and show great respect for the Queen.

"To live in this moment is a sad moment, but a special moment. She was 96 years old, and honestly for me, it was very difficult to believe that she had died – in your mind, you feel like she is immortal.

"I’ll keep that situation, living in London at the time, in my heart and mind for the rest of my life."

I repeat we are talking about a head of state in a very important position. You know very well what she achieved. At this time the gap for King Charles is very big but he is just starting with this process

 

[thebenjamin]

Love how he talks about the Queen like she's a centre back with 100 international caps

 

[thehipster]

I work in psychology and human behaviour.
And this is my tuppence worth on current performance.

I have a concern that we are being over-coached, both on the training paddock and on the pitch itself during games.
First of all, Conte is without doubt an excellent and very experienced coach. It’s a huge opportunity having him here at Spurs.
He is obsessive though…and that can be quite detrimental over a period of time.

The reason the players (even the leading ones) are struggling to put a decent 90 minutes together is because there is far too much going on in their heads.

Every player wants to aim to hit the pitch and play in flow. A state whereby you hardly have a conscious thought. You just play with supreme confidence and belief in your ability. Son and Kane in previous seasons have demonstrated this perfectly, where they find each other with telepathic ease. It seems effortless at times. And all players are capable of playing in flow.
However, if your rather obsessive manager is filling your head with an excess of information and then yelling at you constantly from the sidelines, then as a player, you’ve got to constantly engage your brain to hear/understand what he’s shouting at you and any ongoing instruction hampers creativity and freedom to play.

Currently, we’re watching a team where nobody is in flow and every player is over-considering what to do next. You can almost hear the cogs of the brains revolving. They are worried about getting certain things wrong…and being exposed to Conte’s wrath (or just his very high standards).
The players are in future-based thinking…concerned about how their actions might have consequences. And those concerns, those beliefs…create tension in both the body and the brain. And that hinders performance.

Solutions?

1. Let it play out and realise that its the beginning of the season and Conte has provided a whole ton of new direction and instructions to his players to assimilate. Once they take that on board, the players will slip more into a flow state and start playing without conscious over-thinking. More in flow.
2. Conte can go hard on them in training and in the build up to the game…but then he must stand back from the touch line and allow his players the freedom to play. Actively encourage his players to problem-solve by themselves on the pitch.
3. Tone down some of the obsessive detail in training and empower the players to make their own decisions. To build their own EQ. The problem with over-coaching is that some players become dependent on your constant instruction and lose their own problem-solving capability.

Conte looks like he wants to be out on the pitch himself and you can’t doubt his passion. But it’s also quite controlling behaviour, whereby he can’t let go and fully entrust the players.
If he persists with his heavy touchline involvement and being overly obsessive in training, Spurs might grab a trophy this season or next. But the fun will run out of the players faces eventually and resentment will eventually kick in.
This happened with Eddie Jones and England Rugby. A good first season or two…but then everyone tired of his level of obsession and over-control.

For longevity and ultimate joy/success - all Conte needs to do is recognise that his own over-enthusiasm and attention to detail can be the very factor that holds his players back from being truly able to express themselves and play with a free mind.

Just as Brendon McCallum has done with English cricket (different, but same same) he’s gone to great lengths to clear the players minds and take away any consequences. Thereby, the player can play in flow state…free of fear of being persecuted in the changing room or training the next day.

The players we have on the pitch are fantastic players with huge skill levels.
But there are too many cogs going around in their heads as they try to perfect all their systems and tactics.
Hopefully, we reach a point whereby Conte steps back a bit, entrusts his players…and the players start playing with a freedom.
That’s all that needs to happen….and then the team will really gel on the pitch.

But, if Conte continues to over-control…then the environment becomes tense and a bit suffocating…and team performance levels will continue to be erratic.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

I work in psychology and human behaviour.
And this is my tuppence worth on current performance.

I have a concern that we are being over-coached, both on the training paddock and on the pitch itself during games.
First of all, Conte is without doubt an excellent and very experienced coach. It’s a huge opportunity having him here at Spurs.
He is obsessive though…and that can be quite detrimental over a period of time.

The reason the players (even the leading ones) are struggling to put a decent 90 minutes together is because there is far too much going on in their heads.

Every player wants to aim to hit the pitch and play in flow. A state whereby you hardly have a conscious thought. You just play with supreme confidence and belief in your ability. Son and Kane in previous seasons have demonstrated this perfectly, where they find each other with telepathic ease. It seems effortless at times. And all players are capable of playing in flow.
However, if your rather obsessive manager is filling your head with an excess of information and then yelling at you constantly from the sidelines, then as a player, you’ve got to constantly engage your brain to hear/understand what he’s shouting at you and any ongoing instruction hampers creativity and freedom to play.

Currently, we’re watching a team where nobody is in flow and every player is over-considering what to do next. You can almost hear the cogs of the brains revolving. They are worried about getting certain things wrong…and being exposed to Conte’s wrath (or just his very high standards).
The players are in future-based thinking…concerned about how their actions might have consequences. And those concerns, those beliefs…create tension in both the body and the brain. And that hinders performance.

Solutions?

1. Let it play out and realise that its the beginning of the season and Conte has provided a whole ton of new direction and instructions to his players to assimilate. Once they take that on board, the players will slip more into a flow state and start playing without conscious over-thinking. More in flow.
2. Conte can go hard on them in training and in the build up to the game…but then he must stand back from the touch line and allow his players the freedom to play. Actively encourage his players to problem-solve by themselves on the pitch.
3. Tone down some of the obsessive detail in training and empower the players to make their own decisions. To build their own EQ. The problem with over-coaching is that some players become dependent on your constant instruction and lose their own problem-solving capability.

Conte looks like he wants to be out on the pitch himself and you can’t doubt his passion. But it’s also quite controlling behaviour, whereby he can’t let go and fully entrust the players.
If he persists with his heavy touchline involvement and being overly obsessive in training, Spurs might grab a trophy this season or next. But the fun will run out of the players faces eventually and resentment will eventually kick in.
This happened with Eddie Jones and England Rugby. A good first season or two…but then everyone tired of his level of obsession and over-control.

For longevity and ultimate joy/success - all Conte needs to do is recognise that his own over-enthusiasm and attention to detail can be the very factor that holds his players back from being truly able to express themselves and play with a free mind.

Just as Brendon McCallum has done with English cricket (different, but same same) he’s gone to great lengths to clear the players minds and take away any consequences. Thereby, the player can play in flow state…free of fear of being persecuted in the changing room or training the next day.

The players we have on the pitch are fantastic players with huge skill levels.
But there are too many cogs going around in their heads as they try to perfect all their systems and tactics.
Hopefully, we reach a point whereby Conte steps back a bit, entrusts his players…and the players start playing with a freedom.
That’s all that needs to happen….and then the team will really gel on the pitch.

But, if Conte continues to over-control…then the environment becomes tense and a bit suffocating…and team performance levels will continue to be erratic.

Interesting perspective but I think there are two important truths that you haven’t addressed:

1. Conte is in his fifties and has been managing at the top level for over a decade with great success. He’s not going to change his ways in the slightest unless there’s a good reason for him to do so. If he changes in the way you describe, he’s not the same manager anymore, and that could take away from what makes him an elite manager rather than add to it.

2. We are embarking upon one of our best ever starts to a season, and are currently unbeaten. You’re writing as if there’s a major problem to solve, when there isn’t. We’re not winning games by three or four goals at the moment, but we did last season (under the very same intense, obsessive, controlling Conte you have described above). However, the difference between this season and the start of Conte’s time here is consistency of results. The floodgates may well open very soon, without any need to change our top class manager’s approach in a fundamental way.

In short, maybe he knows what he’s doing.

 

[shoggy33]

I work in psychology and human behaviour.
And this is my tuppence worth on current performance.

I have a concern that we are being over-coached, both on the training paddock and on the pitch itself during games.
First of all, Conte is without doubt an excellent and very experienced coach. It’s a huge opportunity having him here at Spurs.
He is obsessive though…and that can be quite detrimental over a period of time.

The reason the players (even the leading ones) are struggling to put a decent 90 minutes together is because there is far too much going on in their heads.

Every player wants to aim to hit the pitch and play in flow. A state whereby you hardly have a conscious thought. You just play with supreme confidence and belief in your ability. Son and Kane in previous seasons have demonstrated this perfectly, where they find each other with telepathic ease. It seems effortless at times. And all players are capable of playing in flow.
However, if your rather obsessive manager is filling your head with an excess of information and then yelling at you constantly from the sidelines, then as a player, you’ve got to constantly engage your brain to hear/understand what he’s shouting at you and any ongoing instruction hampers creativity and freedom to play.

Currently, we’re watching a team where nobody is in flow and every player is over-considering what to do next. You can almost hear the cogs of the brains revolving. They are worried about getting certain things wrong…and being exposed to Conte’s wrath (or just his very high standards).
The players are in future-based thinking…concerned about how their actions might have consequences. And those concerns, those beliefs…create tension in both the body and the brain. And that hinders performance.

Solutions?

1. Let it play out and realise that its the beginning of the season and Conte has provided a whole ton of new direction and instructions to his players to assimilate. Once they take that on board, the players will slip more into a flow state and start playing without conscious over-thinking. More in flow.
2. Conte can go hard on them in training and in the build up to the game…but then he must stand back from the touch line and allow his players the freedom to play. Actively encourage his players to problem-solve by themselves on the pitch.
3. Tone down some of the obsessive detail in training and empower the players to make their own decisions. To build their own EQ. The problem with over-coaching is that some players become dependent on your constant instruction and lose their own problem-solving capability.

Conte looks like he wants to be out on the pitch himself and you can’t doubt his passion. But it’s also quite controlling behaviour, whereby he can’t let go and fully entrust the players.
If he persists with his heavy touchline involvement and being overly obsessive in training, Spurs might grab a trophy this season or next. But the fun will run out of the players faces eventually and resentment will eventually kick in.
This happened with Eddie Jones and England Rugby. A good first season or two…but then everyone tired of his level of obsession and over-control.

For longevity and ultimate joy/success - all Conte needs to do is recognise that his own over-enthusiasm and attention to detail can be the very factor that holds his players back from being truly able to express themselves and play with a free mind.

Just as Brendon McCallum has done with English cricket (different, but same same) he’s gone to great lengths to clear the players minds and take away any consequences. Thereby, the player can play in flow state…free of fear of being persecuted in the changing room or training the next day.

The players we have on the pitch are fantastic players with huge skill levels.
But there are too many cogs going around in their heads as they try to perfect all their systems and tactics.
Hopefully, we reach a point whereby Conte steps back a bit, entrusts his players…and the players start playing with a freedom.
That’s all that needs to happen….and then the team will really gel on the pitch.

But, if Conte continues to over-control…then the environment becomes

tense and a bit suffocating…and team performance levels will continue to be erratic.

That's very interesting and thanks for writing, but why has Conte been so successful pretty much everywhere he's been if this is true and he's overcoaching? We were absolutely flying, playing beautiful counter attacking football towards the end of last season, what's changed? Could it not just be that a couple of key players are horribly off form, and we are integrating new players? The opposition have also probably figured us out a bit, and we have already played 3 bogey fixtures. All in all I think we are doing OK, it doesn't really feel like we are riding our luck too much, the style of play is just pretty unexciting right now.

 

[Cochise]

I work in psychology and human behaviour.
And this is my tuppence worth on current performance.

I have a concern that we are being over-coached, both on the training paddock and on the pitch itself during games.
First of all, Conte is without doubt an excellent and very experienced coach. It’s a huge opportunity having him here at Spurs.
He is obsessive though…and that can be quite detrimental over a period of time.

The reason the players (even the leading ones) are struggling to put a decent 90 minutes together is because there is far too much going on in their heads.

Every player wants to aim to hit the pitch and play in flow. A state whereby you hardly have a conscious thought. You just play with supreme confidence and belief in your ability. Son and Kane in previous seasons have demonstrated this perfectly, where they find each other with telepathic ease. It seems effortless at times. And all players are capable of playing in flow.
However, if your rather obsessive manager is filling your head with an excess of information and then yelling at you constantly from the sidelines, then as a player, you’ve got to constantly engage your brain to hear/understand what he’s shouting at you and any ongoing instruction hampers creativity and freedom to play.

Currently, we’re watching a team where nobody is in flow and every player is over-considering what to do next. You can almost hear the cogs of the brains revolving. They are worried about getting certain things wrong…and being exposed to Conte’s wrath (or just his very high standards).
The players are in future-based thinking…concerned about how their actions might have consequences. And those concerns, those beliefs…create tension in both the body and the brain. And that hinders performance.

Solutions?

1. Let it play out and realise that its the beginning of the season and Conte has provided a whole ton of new direction and instructions to his players to assimilate. Once they take that on board, the players will slip more into a flow state and start playing without conscious over-thinking. More in flow.
2. Conte can go hard on them in training and in the build up to the game…but then he must stand back from the touch line and allow his players the freedom to play. Actively encourage his players to problem-solve by themselves on the pitch.
3. Tone down some of the obsessive detail in training and empower the players to make their own decisions. To build their own EQ. The problem with over-coaching is that some players become dependent on your constant instruction and lose their own problem-solving capability.

Conte looks like he wants to be out on the pitch himself and you can’t doubt his passion. But it’s also quite controlling behaviour, whereby he can’t let go and fully entrust the players.
If he persists with his heavy touchline involvement and being overly obsessive in training, Spurs might grab a trophy this season or next. But the fun will run out of the players faces eventually and resentment will eventually kick in.
This happened with Eddie Jones and England Rugby. A good first season or two…but then everyone tired of his level of obsession and over-control.

For longevity and ultimate joy/success - all Conte needs to do is recognise that his own over-enthusiasm and attention to detail can be the very factor that holds his players back from being truly able to express themselves and play with a free mind.

Just as Brendon McCallum has done with English cricket (different, but same same) he’s gone to great lengths to clear the players minds and take away any consequences. Thereby, the player can play in flow state…free of fear of being persecuted in the changing room or training the next day.

The players we have on the pitch are fantastic players with huge skill levels.
But there are too many cogs going around in their heads as they try to perfect all their systems and tactics.
Hopefully, we reach a point whereby Conte steps back a bit, entrusts his players…and the players start playing with a freedom.
That’s all that needs to happen….and then the team will really gel on the pitch.

But, if Conte continues to over-control…then the environment becomes tense and a bit suffocating…and team performance levels will continue to be erratic.

I think your point about the players becoming reliant upon the coach to solve their problems true. We've needed a half time team talk a few times to get things going.

 

[1971 Spur]

That's very interesting and thanks for writing, but why has Conte been so successful pretty much everywhere he's been if this is true and he's overcoaching? We were absolutely flying, playing beautiful counter attacking football towards the end of last season, what's changed? Could it not just be that a couple of key players are horribly off form, and we are integrating new players? The opposition have also probably figured us out a bit, and we have already played 3 bogey fixtures. All in all I think we are doing OK, it doesn't really feel like we are riding our luck too much, the style of play is just pretty unexciting right now.

According to Fotmob website, the XG stats for Harry and Sonny last season were:

Harry - 17 Goals from an XG of 19.7
Sonny - 23 Goals form an XG of 15.8

This season it's:

Harry - 5 Goals from an XG of 4.2
Sonny - 0 Goals from an XG of 1.7

Putting stats to one side, the "eye test" would tell you that Sonny is not firing on all cylinders as yet. When he does then we'll score more and be under less pressure in games and the match day thread will be a much happier and healthier place to be.

I may even go back to reading it again after a win, though never after a draw/loss.

 

[fecka]

According to Fotmob website, the XG stats for Harry and Sonny last season were:

Harry - 17 Goals from an XG of 19.7
Sonny - 23 Goals form an XG of 15.8

This season it's:

Harry - 5 Goals from an XG of 4.2
Sonny - 0 Goals from an XG of 1.7

Putting stats to one side, the "eye test" would tell you that Sonny is not firing on all cylinders as yet. When he does then we'll score more and be under less pressure in games and the match day thread will be a much happier and healthier place to be.

I may even go back to reading it again after a win, though never after a draw/loss.

Pretty sure I read that Sonny has an XG of +3.5 or something this season without scoring but it's mainly been because of sloppy finishing.

 

[WiganSpur]

For all the talk of style of football, whilst Conte has been working with the players for almost a year on the training pitch, I don't think this is the finished product by any means. I remember when he came in he said he needed to create a stable team, and that's what he's done so far. Defensively we are very solid in general. I'd still give it another few months before i'd fully judge play style, and perhaps even into next season if indeed he is still around. Perhaps Conte wants to build the base and results before working on technical quality, aesthetics and plan Bs. Some coaches are different, like Klopp and Pep who sacrificed early results but there's nothing wrong with building from the back.

When these players have fully grasped Conte's way of working, then the plans can be easily adapted to the opposition, and Conte can work more on individual refinement of technical quality etc.

 

[dontcallme]

For all the talk of style of football, whilst Conte has been working with the players for almost a year on the training pitch, I don't think this is the finished product by any means. I remember when he came in he said he needed to create a stable team, and that's what he's done so far. Defensively we are very solid in general. I'd still give it another few months before i'd fully judge play style, and perhaps even into next season if indeed he is still around. Perhaps Conte wants to build the base and results before working on technical quality, aesthetics and plan Bs. Some coaches are different, like Klopp and Pep who sacrificed early results but there's nothing wrong with building from the back.

When these players have fully grasped Conte's way of working, then the plans can be easily adapted to the opposition, and Conte can work more on individual refinement of technical quality etc.

Agree. Also worth noting that Conte has said it’ll take several transfer windows to get the players he needs.

 

[WiganSpur]

Agree. Also worth noting that Conte has said it’ll take several transfer windows to get the players he needs.

Yep, I think more central defenders who excel on the ball and can roam into midfield will make us more attractive to watch and give us flexibility too.

If you hear previous players talk about Conte he is definitely a coach who likes to improve the technique of players which lends itself to improved play style.

From what I have seen thus far, most of the priority has been to establish stronger mentality and improving tactical awareness. There's clearly been some work done technically, but I think the first two aspects have taken priority.

 

[wrd]

I work in psychology and human behaviour.
And this is my tuppence worth on current performance.

I have a concern that we are being over-coached, both on the training paddock and on the pitch itself during games.
First of all, Conte is without doubt an excellent and very experienced coach. It’s a huge opportunity having him here at Spurs.
He is obsessive though…and that can be quite detrimental over a period of time.

The reason the players (even the leading ones) are struggling to put a decent 90 minutes together is because there is far too much going on in their heads.

Every player wants to aim to hit the pitch and play in flow. A state whereby you hardly have a conscious thought. You just play with supreme confidence and belief in your ability. Son and Kane in previous seasons have demonstrated this perfectly, where they find each other with telepathic ease. It seems effortless at times. And all players are capable of playing in flow.
However, if your rather obsessive manager is filling your head with an excess of information and then yelling at you constantly from the sidelines, then as a player, you’ve got to constantly engage your brain to hear/understand what he’s shouting at you and any ongoing instruction hampers creativity and freedom to play.

Currently, we’re watching a team where nobody is in flow and every player is over-considering what to do next. You can almost hear the cogs of the brains revolving. They are worried about getting certain things wrong…and being exposed to Conte’s wrath (or just his very high standards).
The players are in future-based thinking…concerned about how their actions might have consequences. And those concerns, those beliefs…create tension in both the body and the brain. And that hinders performance.

Solutions?

1. Let it play out and realise that its the beginning of the season and Conte has provided a whole ton of new direction and instructions to his players to assimilate. Once they take that on board, the players will slip more into a flow state and start playing without conscious over-thinking. More in flow.
2. Conte can go hard on them in training and in the build up to the game…but then he must stand back from the touch line and allow his players the freedom to play. Actively encourage his players to problem-solve by themselves on the pitch.
3. Tone down some of the obsessive detail in training and empower the players to make their own decisions. To build their own EQ. The problem with over-coaching is that some players become dependent on your constant instruction and lose their own problem-solving capability.

Conte looks like he wants to be out on the pitch himself and you can’t doubt his passion. But it’s also quite controlling behaviour, whereby he can’t let go and fully entrust the players.
If he persists with his heavy touchline involvement and being overly obsessive in training, Spurs might grab a trophy this season or next. But the fun will run out of the players faces eventually and resentment will eventually kick in.
This happened with Eddie Jones and England Rugby. A good first season or two…but then everyone tired of his level of obsession and over-control.

For longevity and ultimate joy/success - all Conte needs to do is recognise that his own over-enthusiasm and attention to detail can be the very factor that holds his players back from being truly able to express themselves and play with a free mind.

Just as Brendon McCallum has done with English cricket (different, but same same) he’s gone to great lengths to clear the players minds and take away any consequences. Thereby, the player can play in flow state…free of fear of being persecuted in the changing room or training the next day.

The players we have on the pitch are fantastic players with huge skill levels.
But there are too many cogs going around in their heads as they try to perfect all their systems and tactics.
Hopefully, we reach a point whereby Conte steps back a bit, entrusts his players…and the players start playing with a freedom.
That’s all that needs to happen….and then the team will really gel on the pitch.

But, if Conte continues to over-control…then the environment becomes tense and a bit suffocating…and team performance levels will continue to be erratic.

I agree with what you're saying but what I've tried to articulate I think last week was that it seems from the outside looking in that we are combining the early parts of the season with an overload of training and so we are seeing the lethargic displays that aren't necessarily clicking but I believe there will be a moment where suddenly we go through the gears, I think some players (Namely Doherty, Sessegnon, Spence and Bissouma) are not being overloaded as much either because of the specifics of their role or being new to the team or the combination of both so I could imagine a decision being made to have them focus on training in this period (As was done with Eriksen and Hakimi at Inter at certain periods).

What you're saying about the subconscious I completely agree with, however in order for things to become second nature you do need to consciously work on the skills and the best way to do that is through intense intervals of training and with the ability to receive feedback from a great mentor. You have to take new skills, work on them consciously before they can be automated, if you don't do the work deliberately then you are just hoping that by sheer volume that you build the skills almost by accident, you need to be conscious in your approach to accelerate the process of elevating your skill. If Conte didn't exhibit the level of control he does then the players level would have a ceiling to it, it's about doing the work and then unlocking your latent potential when it clicks. I think we're currently in this period and then we will see the training wheels removed and I think we will see a great elevation in the quality of our play and what players are involved.

 

[chrisd2k]

Pretty sure I read that Sonny has an XG of +3.5 or something this season without scoring but it's mainly been because of sloppy finishing.

Could be a different reason...

 

[thehipster]

I agree with what you're saying but what I've tried to articulate I think last week was that it seems from the outside looking in that we are combining the early parts of the season with an overload of training and so we are seeing the lethargic displays that aren't necessarily clicking but I believe there will be a moment where suddenly we go through the gears, I think some players (Namely Doherty, Sessegnon, Spence and Bissouma) are not being overloaded as much either because of the specifics of their role or being new to the team or the combination of both so I could imagine a decision being made to have them focus on training in this period (As was done with Eriksen and Hakimi at Inter at certain periods).

What you're saying about the subconscious I completely agree with, however in order for things to become second nature you do need to consciously work on the skills and the best way to do that is through intense intervals of training and with the ability to receive feedback from a great mentor. You have to take new skills, work on them consciously before they can be automated, if you don't do the work deliberately then you are just hoping that by sheer volume that you build the skills almost by accident, you need to be conscious in your approach to accelerate the process of elevating your skill. If Conte didn't exhibit the level of control he does then the players level would have a ceiling to it, it's about doing the work and then unlocking your latent potential when it clicks. I think we're currently in this period and then we will see the training wheels removed and I think we will see a great elevation in the quality of our play and what players are involved.

Agree entirely with your sentiments and thoughts.
Football knowledge does need to get drilled in to become second nature.
Absolutely.
And it can be quite a frustrating watch as a fan whilst that process is taking place.
I just hope Conte himself is still learning and trusts the players soon to give them a bit more freedom of movement and expression.
Information overload always impacts on performance.
It’s a balancing act I don’t think he’s quite got right at the moment.

 

[H-SF]

Throwing his arms in the air everytime Emerson ruins an attacking moment yet he is the one giving him 90 mins every single fucking game.

 

[Hakkz]

You bring a bunch of substitutes for a reason mate.