Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[gavspur]

I think we need to go 3-5-2, and I’d try Bergwijn as RWB. Maybe shake it up a bit, bring Rodon in. Possibly try Kulusevski in the midfield, give White some minutes? Lucas has been next to useless recently, so has Winks, Davies, Sanchez - and Lloris since his contract. Here’s hoping we have Skipp and Dier available this weekend.

 

[mil1lion]

After that dismal first half, following an awful performance midweek, the fans shouldn't show their frustration? Come on. We pay amongst the highest prices in the world for our tickets and that's the best the club can dish out? Booing is not directed solely at the players either- it's an expression of dissatisfaction at the board and the club as a whole. Don't build a super flash stadium and charge us a fortune to watch matches if you don't expect booing when the football is seriously substandard.
As for your assertion that it's making the players worse- well if they're so delicate as to be affected by booing that might be a problem in itself- professional sportspeople need to be resilient to be successful. It's clear that expectations generated by the stadium are starting to create problems at the ground, but that's the fault of the club for its neglect of player recruitment.

Sorry but we went 9 games unbeaten in the league before we lost to Chelsea. We followed the break with a win against Brighton in the cup. We had a bad first half against Southampton and booed at half time. So it wasn't just against Wolves off the back of the result midweek. We have a world class manager telling us to be patient and we have fans booing the first time we hit a bad run under him. I get the price of tickets are high but we know as fans know what we have with this team. We have 1 trophy this millennium and we act like we should never hit a bad patch. I would understand if the players stopped running but they haven't. They are just playing badly and it's no surprise given a number of them need to be sold in the summer. It's also nonsense the boos are not aimed at the players. We have fans moaning at every misplaced or backwards pass. Everyone knows it doesn't take much to unsettle the Spurs fans so they play to it as well. It's not exactly smart to play into their hands and turn on our own players. We're supposed to be supporters, the clue is in the name.

 

[Real_madyidd]

I think we need to go 3-5-2, and I’d try Bergwijn as RWB. Maybe shake it up a bit, bring Rodon in. Possibly try Kulusevski in the midfield, give White some minutes? Lucas has been next to useless recently, so has Winks, Davies, Sanchez - and Lloris since his contract. Here’s hoping we have Skipp and Dier available this weekend.

What? How can you put him in the company of that shite?

 

[Cochise]

I've said it before but it seems it might need saying again;

Conte does like his 352, it's what he used at Juve and with Inter, however he decided back with Chelsea that a 343 was far more suited to the English game. I think perhaps that that is why he is so devoted to it, because he feels that this will be the system that is most efficient against most teams in the league.

The 352 we saw against Liverpool was likely because he saw that as a game where we needed to play on the counter more and crowd out the middle. Against teams where we are likely going to be dominated we may see it, which is why I don't think it would be a big surprise to see it this Saturday against City.

Another thing about the wingbacks is to talk/look at how Conte started out with a 442/424 using natural wingers playing high and wide. Those are the types of players he wants as his wingbacks. He wants offensively minded/gifted players that will work hard in defence more than defenders that will try hard in attack.

 

[boy-C]

its so hard to be patient with Conte and the team when players keep getting selected who I have lost patience with years ago and seem to let the team down more often than not. I would be a lot more patient if Conte was selecting younger players who deserve a bit of slack.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

"...worth making an exception for..." That's the thing, right?

So was José.

I know I'm in the minority, and probably, rightly so. But no, I don't think Conte, or anyone else for that matter of fact, is worth making an exception for. I've followed Spurs since the 90s, and let's just say, it wasn't for the massive trophy hauls. It's for the love of "to dare is to do", front foot, possession-based football. Exclude, George Graham, that's what Spurs is about. I want titles and CL football as much as the next guy, but we almost did it with Poch, so why deviate from that strategy? Everything went downhill since 2017.

Jose was/is a busted flush. This really goes without saying.

Conte is demonstrably one of the top 5 managers currently in world football. You just don't turn down managers like this if you have the chance. Not only does he get results on the pitch but he raises the overall profile of the club, meaning you have a better chance of signing top class players.

I am someone who prefers high pressing, front foot, attacking football but Conte-ball is not a million miles away from that. It is more energetic and structured then all out attack but to compare it to the fossil-football that Jose employed is completely wide of the mark imo.

 

[tiger666]

its so hard to be patient with Conte and the team when players keep getting selected who I have lost patience with years ago and seem to let the team down more often than not. I would be a lot more patient if Conte was selecting younger players who deserve a bit of slack.

Like who?

 

[SambaSpurs]

Sorry but we went 9 games unbeaten in the league before we lost to Chelsea. We followed the break with a win against Brighton in the cup. We had a bad first half against Southampton and booed at half time. So it wasn't just against Wolves off the back of the result midweek. We have a world class manager telling us to be patient and we have fans booing the first time we hit a bad run under him. I get the price of tickets are high but we know as fans know what we have with this team. We have 1 trophy this millennium and we act like we should never hit a bad patch. I would understand if the players stopped running but they haven't. They are just playing badly and it's no surprise given a number of them need to be sold in the summer. It's also nonsense the boos are not aimed at the players. We have fans moaning at every misplaced or backwards pass. Everyone knows it doesn't take much to unsettle the Spurs fans so they play to it as well. It's not exactly smart to play into their hands and turn on our own players. We're supposed to be supporters, the clue is in the name.

I agree with this, we had a poor first half after 9 unbeaten, and we were drawing yet the team got booed off.

There’s just a lot of negativity over certain players, Sanchez and Winks if they make even one mistake get hounded. There’s too much baggage there. Emerson and Hojbjerg are the next two. They don’t have enough credit in the bank to make a mistake and people are tired of them. But the crowd getting on their back only makes it worse. I don’t agree with it but if we are not playing well and these players make mistakes or a sideways pass, every time they are groaned at. It’s a habit from the crowd that won’t pass.

We need the squad refresh yesterday, get winning and the positive energy back in the stadium.

 

[Archibald-CPH]

It’s a really odd situation. You can coach a team to get the most out of that moment in time and get better results but not grow as a team. Or you can take a longer term approach and try to get the players to learn the fundamentals of a new approach and suffer bad results along the way.

Conte has won everywhere but no doubt Tottenham is by far the biggest challenge he has had. He has to persevere with his beliefs and get the players to understand his principles as quite a few of them will still be here next year. I think we’d win more games right now with a 3-5-2 but if he is planning to drill the 3-4-3 into the team and have 4 or 5 new players in that system next year is her really wrong to continue with it?

I just think he is learning by the day that there are fewer and fewer players in the squad that he can really rely on.

But if 4-5 signings in the summer and the two in January, it is more than half the starters, why not wait playing 3-4-3 until then. Playing without winning because of formation is not giving the players confidence and winning mentality

 

[dbspurs]

Is it just me or does it seem that sections of the media are trying to suggest a bit of friction between Conte and the players. Seems like they are starting to build a narrative that just isn't there?

If the said players are of such mental fragility then they aren't going to make it under Conte and need to go in the summer. We've carried too many passengers for too long and it has to stop now.

We're in such a mess precisely because of pandering to players that are clearly not good enough to take us where we want to be.

 

[mil1lion]

343 was working before the last week where we missed key players who work well in this system. It still needs work though so we do need to stick with it. No point changing formation and then changing back when players are fit. Conte has his system in place and is drilling it into the players. Those who struggle with it will be sold in the summer. We have to factor in that Conte doesn't usually come into a club during a season. I imagine it's because he needs the summer to get players who fit his system.

 

[AtoubaToothpaste]

If the said players are of such mental fragility then they aren't going to make it under Conte and need to go in the summer. We've carried too many passengers for too long and it has to stop now.

We're in such a mess precisely because of pandering to players that are clearly not good enough to take us where we want to be.

I 100% agree with this. If the players are so weak they can't hack it, then they have no business being here. We absolutely need men in this team. No more little boys scared of their own shadow. If it takes Conte to shift them out, I'm all for it.

 

[boy-C]

Like who?

Harvey White, Alfie Devine, Marcel Laviner, Maksim Paskotsi anyone, then at least I could then see progression in developement for the squad and valid reasons for poor performances just please not Winks or Doherty they no longer have any excuses for not being good enough anymore other than not being good enough.

 

[dudu]

Harvey White, Alfie Devine, Marcel Laviner, Maksim Paskotsi anyone, then at least I could then see progression in developement for the squad and valid reasons for poor performances just please not Winks or Doherty they no longer have any excuses for not being good enough anymore other than not being good enough.

You think that would stop the booing and groaning?

Not in a million years man.

 

[danielneeds]

Harvey White, Alfie Devine, Marcel Laviner, Maksim Paskotsi anyone, then at least I could then see progression in developement for the squad and valid reasons for poor performances just please not Winks or Doherty they no longer have any excuses for not being good enough anymore other than not being good enough.

At least with a young group desperate to impress you’d get some urgency and fire in their bellies. The last time we had a rotten squad Poch jettisoned international players and put in the likes of Mason, Bentaleb, Townsend, Kane. Now, most of those players weren’t good enough to take us where we needed to go, but at least they established the baseline of effort, running, fighting for every ball.

 

[whenstevewentup]

Conte has pretty much told the players they’re not good enough and. Told the fans to write the season off because we’re not getting European football so as a fan u accept that and watch the games knowing we may get the odd good result here and there or don’t go at all , but the main thing is Conte has managed our expectations so no point getting frustrated that we can’t compete at present .

 

[mil1lion]

Harvey White, Alfie Devine, Marcel Laviner, Maksim Paskotsi anyone, then at least I could then see progression in developement for the squad and valid reasons for poor performances just please not Winks or Doherty they no longer have any excuses for not being good enough anymore other than not being good enough.

I think people are being way too harsh on Winks. He improved when Conte arrived as did Sanchez. They've had a dip in form and now people act like they should never play for us again. They actually were more consistent than I expected them to be under Conte. I don't think Doherty has looked so bad at wing back either. They'll still play poorly on occasions and maybe they should all be sold in the summer. However they've shown enough in the previous 3 months to be involved for the rest of the season. Conte got rid of the ones in Jan who didn't so he obviously trusts them.

 

[Spud82]

there is no road without a turn

 

[DJS]

I personally prefer a back three.

Think we need to play Kane and Son as a proper pair though getting Son more central with Kane behind him.

Obviously also need better right wing back, which should hopefully be resolved in summer.

Still reckon Stevie B would be better there as a makeshift then our current two.

Would also be playing Kulesevski and playing him more centrally too with Bentacur and Skipp once he’s fit.

 

[TOLBINY]

First of all there's a difference between telling a player he is not good enough and telling a player he has room for improvement. I have not heard, seen or read a Conte interview where he names a player as not being good enough (although I am sure he thinks it).

I think people are being way too harsh on Winks. He improved when Conte arrived as did Sanchez. They've had a dip in form and now people act like they should never play for us again. They actually were more consistent than I expected them to be under Conte. I don't think Doherty has looked so bad at wing back either. They'll still play poorly on occasions and maybe they should all be sold in the summer. However they've shown enough in the previous 3 months to be involved for the rest of the season. Conte got rid of the ones in Jan who didn't so he obviously trusts them.

The thing with the likes of Winks, Sanchez and Doherty is they can have a purple patch where their performances improve but you never get the feeling they have what it takes to play consistently well (ie. more often than not).