Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[Mattspurs1982]

Because his style of play invites mistakes. We have 3 chances per game so it's only working when Son/Kane/Kulusevski are firing (which happened last season) - absolutely not the case now. By being so passive on the other side its likely a mistake happens.

but the end of last season we were absolutely blitzing teams. Newcastle, Norwich to name two. We weren’t totally reliant on 3 chances a game and only Son and Kane. Something has gone very wrong. Investing in our shite defence is a start

 

[arunspurs]

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?

Answer to you is.... blaming Conte is about todays game. No body I have seen is blaming Conte for the squad situation. But today, more is expected of him. He had no resources to play 3-4-3 yet he is stubborn to not change it up when it isnt working.

 

[13VanDerBale13]

Less talk, more action needed from him.
He should be furious behind the scenes, demanding help.
If not, then he may aswell go, if he’s happy with how this club is being run & just accepting it.

 

[Harrier]

Yeh but there were signs of what Arteta was trying to implement ages ago with the high pressing. Even at our best personnel wise we are a limited passive mid block team.

And is Conte going to stay long enough anyway?

The question that I keep asking myself after today’s performance, is that would the result have been the same if only the men in the dugout had been swapped?

I doubt it personally which says it all IMHO.

Conte is too inflexible to adapt and it’s showing.

 

[TheDoc]

but the end of last season we were absolutely blitzing teams. Newcastle, Norwich to name two. We weren’t totally reliant on 3 chances a game and only Son and Kane. Something has gone very wrong. Investing in our shite defence is a start

Didn't we also go 2 games in a row without a shot on goal though? Think one was against Brentford.

Shows these games where we have no attacking threat were hinted at last season.

 

[Sophos151]

Our rivals have improved under new managers new players as well though, and they're performing to a higher level.

The level of investment in summer and last January needs to be consistent to achieve things. Not only that but the investment needs to in the right players. For a long time we've spent poorly

We spent more than Arsenal or Newcastle in the summer, look how far they’ve come on.

Meanwhile our top quality signings have been horribly mismanaged - or even completely ignored - by Conte, while our existing top players have gotten worse with every passing month.

 

[GutBucket]

Most teams in the league have enough money and cover to counter our back 3 formation, plus everyone feared Tuchel's Chelsea and practiced it. Teams have versatile DMs like Rodri, Fabinho, Casemiro, Partey who can drop deeper and match our shape, especially easy when we don't have a proper RWB.

Conte struggles without 5 days to prepare and we don't have any plans B or C really. Any one of Kane/Bentancur/Romero/Kulusevski get injured and we are looking like bottom 3 team in the league. Doesn't help that Son is cosplaying as Soldado this whole season so far.

We struggled at set pieces and quickly improved it, now we are struggling at few things and coaching staff can't figure it out yet.

 

[joelstinton14]

It sounds good in theory - but in reality, one name pops up every where - Daniel Levy.

Levy hired the managers.

Levy set the transfer strategy - both buying and selling.


Replace Levy with a competent chairman - and you solve a lot of problems.

Perhaps a change of owners is needed to freshen things up. But I don’t think it will miraculously change our fortunes (which to be honest most other clubs fans would kill for top 4/CL). In reality changing owners or Chairman, the same things will continue to happen, we will just have some highs, have some lows. The PL is ultra competitive with 6…now 7 sides with Newcastle, competing to win the league or finish in the top 4. Three of those clubs are oil teams and have unlimited funds. The rest are rich but still have to make compromises like the amount of players they can get in on extremely high wages (Though I provably say Utd lean more towards the oil teams with how they are run commercially). I don’t think there is much difference in how Us, Liverpool and Arsenal are run. This is where good coaching comes in and teams capitalise on those moments (us under Poch, Liverpool and Klopp, and this season Arteta with Arsenal). Liverpool are paying the price for not re-invigorating the team this season like we did under Poch. Arsenal seemed to be in no man’s land for a long time before Arteta turned it around. Just saying that there isn’t a given right to finish top.

I’m not saying don’t get rid of Enic but I don’t think it is the magic bullet that everyone thinks it is. The only real alternative is an oil team, but at that point I’m out due to ethical reasons.

 

[spurs mental]

We spent more than Arsenal or Newcastle in the summer, look how far they’ve come on.

Meanwhile our top quality signings have been horribly mismanaged - or even completely ignored - by Conte, while our existing top players have gotten worse with every passing month.

I literally said our rivals players are performing to a higher level.

 

[IamSpurtacus]

“We came 4th last year, you gave me lots of money to play with, and now the squad isn’t good enough to come 4th without lots more money.”

Yes. It's true. We now have to contend with CL - we didn't last year

The squad need more investment

 

[ajspurs]

Part of his quote:

"We have different characteristics. We don't have many players who are really good to beat the man. We don't have many creative players in our team. For sure today was really difficult to find space in the first half.

Oh that's very interesting, thanks. This actually reassures me a bit but we also knew these things before the summer so why wasn't it any bit addressed then. The lack of creativity has been a damming element since Eriksen left but I almost excused not rectifying it as it's "not Conte's way of playing". We also have a young RWB who can beat a man who may not be ready to play as much as we'd like but quite possibly more than he actually has.

We continue to be linked with McKennie's and Rabiot's more than anyone who is actually creative so it's encouraging to hear that but there's been little to suggest we're wanting to add sufficient creativity to this side. It changes a lot for me if it's something we actually want to do.

 

[Mattspurs1982]

That is a disgraceful quote. Bin him off for fuck sake.

he is challenging the board. Isn’t it obvious. He’s saying “if you guys just want to tread water, be 6th, 5th, 4th then fine but here are my opinions”. He has to try and say it somewhat cryptically. He obviously doesn’t want this. Also English isn’t his first language so I think he’s done this quite well

 

[the yid]

Answer to you is.... blaming Conte is about todays game. No body I have seen is blaming Conte for the squad situation. But today, more is expected of him. He had no resources to play 3-4-3 yet he is stubborn to not change it up when it isnt working.

I get that and I actually agree but people ARE calling for Conte to be sacked which will solve absolutely bugger all

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Answer to you is.... blaming Conte is about todays game. No body I have seen is blaming Conte for the squad situation. But today, more is expected of him. He had no resources to play 3-4-3 yet he is stubborn to not change it up when it isnt working.

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.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

Some commentators have also observed that, although Conte's teams are capable of playing a short passing possession game, in which the ball is played out from the back on the ground, they are mainly known for their direct style of attacking play, as well as their ability to utilise long balls and score from counter-attacks with few touches; however, Conte has rejected claims that his teams prefer to sit back and play on the counter-attack. Defensive solidity has been highlighted as a hallmark of his sides, as well as the effective use of high and aggressive pressing in order to put pressure on opponents and win back the ball quickly. Conte's teams have also been described as possessing notable virtues such as pace, athleticism, high work-rates, versatility and tactical intelligence.

"Conte doesn't want us to press"
"Conte ball is boring"
"Jose MK2"
"This passive football from Conte is nauseating"
"Get him out FFS"

It really isn't that hard to find information, tactical analysis and to read it before you let your emotions get the best of you.

Give Conte a couple more players and some more time and he'll have us playing as described above.

But he won't be given the time, backing or patience.

 

[parj]

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?

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.

 

[Sophos151]

Yes. It's true. We now have to contend with CL - we didn't last year

The squad need more investment

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.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Personally I’d hate to see paratici go. To me he’s more important than Conte if the want to build something.

He’s another bad fit mate he thought Nuno played ‘attractive football’

 

[newbie]

but the end of last season we were absolutely blitzing teams. Newcastle, Norwich to name two. We weren’t totally reliant on 3 chances a game and only Son and Kane. Something has gone very wrong. Investing in our shite defence is a start

I agree we need at least 3 players it might work.

Son being non excistsnt is a huge problem

Would poch solve the problems?

Who know I think we have some good young players, we do need a top quality CB and s creative player in the middle

 

[delawarespur]

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.