Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[archiewasking]

For reasons known behind closed doors for a few months now, I would be shocked if he signs a new contract.

Thanks for the info, I just hope and pray you're wrong. Unless it's the family and people he's lost, in which case he goes with my blessing and all the best for the future.

 

[therealGlenn]

I'm pretty relaxed about it.

By the end of the week there'll be a Tweet or something on bullshit central suggesting he's saying and you'll all be taking that as gospel as we carry on playing rumour rope-a-dope.

Fair enough, but nothing we’ve seen or heard is exactly inspiring any sort of confidence that things are going in the right direction

 

[Dan Stallworthy]

I'm pretty relaxed about it.

By the end of the week there'll be a Tweet or something on bullshit central suggesting he's saying and you'll all be taking that as gospel as we carry on playing rumour rope-a-dope.

Speak for yourself, Tinkerbell

 

[danielneeds]

Absolute unacceptable if this was remotely true.

What more unacceptable than signing players for a manager gone in five months and then having no idea if the next one fancies them?

 

[danielneeds]

Thanks for the info, I just hope and pray you're wrong. Unless it's the family and people he's lost, in which case he goes with my blessing and all the best for the future.

I think the family stuff is obviously an issue in a difficult moment in his life, but do you really think if the team was shaping up the way he wanted and he’d been promised the backing next summer to put the final pieces in place to attack on all fronts next season, he’d be contemplating leaving?

 

[Monkey boy]

If we are essentially having a caretaker between now and the end of the season then I’d rather that caretaker be Antonio Conte than Ryan Mason.

 

[StockSpur]

If we are essentially having a caretaker between now and the end of the season then I’d rather that caretaker be Antonio Conte than Ryan Mason.

you know the answer already ?

 

[Wadec]

See this is the scenario that frustrates me most. Totally respect that if Conte has made clear he will be leaving it is foolish to sign players specific to his system. However, Levy should have held a meeting and agreed a mutual termination or sacked him if Conte would not agree to one.

We are effectively kicking the can down the road. Failing to address the issue either way, either back the manager fully in an attempt to convince him to stay or accept he will leave and make a change now. This halfway house leaves us in a terrible position, we are effectively putting our progress on hold for 6 months.

Totally frustrated with it all.

 

[WiganSpur]

Conte seems like an emotional guy. If we're honest a conversation needs to be had with him. "If we get you Porro & Zaniolo this window will you commit to being our coach next season?" If no, then the next question needs to be: "Do you feel like you can see the season out properly (top 4 and challenge for the cups) with these players and maybe some club signings?" If no, then there needs to be a mutual termination of his contract immediately.

 

[Cel]

I think the family stuff is obviously an issue in a difficult moment in his life, but do you really think if the team was shaping up the way he wanted and he’d been promised the backing next summer to put the final pieces in place to attack on all fronts next season, he’d be contemplating leaving?

Yes, I'd say it's completely possible. He doesn't have any History here, or owe us any loyalty per se.

Depends on how much he's missing them, and if they are ever willing to move to London.

I certainly wouldn't want to be away from my family for that extended period of time, regardless, I don't really like being away for more than a couple of days, net alone months at a time. Life is short, and work, is work, and you don't get that time back with your kids as they grow up. If I could find a job that paid enough back home, I would move back in a heartbeat in that scenario.

Who knows what's happened, the if the hypothetical scenario has played out that this year has had him think about priorities, and what's important in life - and certainly seems in for press conferences/Di Marzio links, it might have, then yes, I certainly could see how it wouldn't matter either way.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Fair enough, but nothing we’ve seen or heard is exactly inspiring any sort of confidence that things are going in the right direction

Indeed and yes it could well happen...............But some people just want to see the world burn If he goes, he goes. It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Not until that follically and vertically challenged incompetent is ousted.

That's the real ballgame

 

[WiganSpur]

If we are essentially having a caretaker between now and the end of the season then I’d rather that caretaker be Antonio Conte than Ryan Mason.

If it's Poch we want then we could get him in now though.

 

[G Ron]

Doesn’t make sense to sign any players for him then and get rid of him now, even though it’s for personal reasons and he wants to go home to his family it doesn’t help us as a club holds us

All these excuses for Levy not buying this window as Conte won’t be here beyond the end of the season - it’s nonsense and exactly the reason clubs have a Director of Football. Paratici is there for continuity (well a DOF is), to understand the vision of the club, address squad weaknesses, sell the unwanted players and recruit accordingly. This is no excuse for not doing business, unless of course the DoF doesn’t have any control and someone else is calling the shots.

I wonder……………

 

[Cel]

If it's Poch we want then we could get him in now though.

Depends if he's still got the dressing room or not I guess? There's not enough of the window left to rework targets, and switching systems mid season feels like it would be a mess. IF he's off at the end of the season, but 100% committed, and the players buy in till year end, why change it?

 

[Guernman]

Both Conte’s and Paratici’s futures are completely up in the air. Beyond our control perhaps, but a ridiculous situation to be in days before the transfer window shuts

 

[agrdavidsfan]

All these excuses for Levy not buying this window as Conte won’t be here beyond the end of the season - it’s nonsense and exactly the reason clubs have a Director of Football. Paratici is there for continuity (well a DOF is), to understand the vision of the club, address squad weaknesses, sell the unwanted players and recruit accordingly. This is no excuse for not doing business, unless of course the DoF doesn’t have any control and someone else is calling the shots.

I wonder……………

Our director of football may also not be here at the end of the window though

 

[U.S. Spurs Fan]

We are pretty much screwed, aren't we? Conte will leave. Since he is leaving, no need to back him in our chairman's mind. When Conte leaves, his friend Paratici leaves as well which the club doesn't fight at all due to the bad publicity he has associated with him. Therefore we go into the summer with a very average squad whose three most senior players either want to leave (Kane) or are too old (Lloris) or may be hitting a career wall (Son).

Luckily for us I guess, one constant will remain. He is untouchable, and since he is untouchable, he will be the one and only one to decide the next manager, the next DOF, and how to spend our "meager" transfer budget to fix the squad's many issues. A guy who can't even get naming rights done for the nicest stadium in Europe for some four years or so is back in charge of all those decisions, after screwing up the three previous times he has had to make these decisions. A bald, penny-pinching, control freak whose massive ego has screwed this club up for the past four years and has put us in this really shitty position.

Yeah we're screwed.

 

[WiganSpur]

Depends if he's still got the dressing room or not I guess? There's not enough of the window left to rework targets, and switching systems mid season feels like it would be a mess. IF he's off at the end of the season, but 100% committed, and the players buy in till year end, why change it?

Well I suppose that's the question isn't it. Does Conte still feel like he can galvanise the players, with Danjuma as the only likely signing.

 

[Tezza1978]

I'm of the opinion that an awful lot can change between now and the summer. I would imagine Conte has been pretty straight with the players behind closed doors, probably in the meeting Kane mentioned this week, regarding his personal situation.

I highly value the ITKs on here (Herc, H88, WLB etc) and their info but by its very nature its always a snapshot in time. Herc mentions there have been background conversations "for months "- we know they arent ALL down to Levy /our targets /money if even if 60-80%+ were because of the 3 close friends Conte has lost and the fact his family is back in Italy and he is living in a hotel - all that clearly affects him and is part of what's going on. None of which excuses the interfering bald one and his haphazard meddling and inability to see the bigger picture and the need to push the boat out to back the manager.

I understand what some people are saying that "Conte and the club should publicly announce it" , "Leave in summer but massive push for top 4 and trophies before he leaves" - the players could well buy into that - but the media would ignore it and would launch a feeding frenzy "why arent you going NOW?" , reams of articles on replacements , Poch being collared for interviews - you name it, it would happen. There are already pundits who really have it in for us - the usual ex Gooners but even on the BBC Chris Sutton and Garth Crooks never have a single good word to say about us over the last few months and have been pinning all our defeats on Conte and his methods/ "players not playing for him"

The latter of course is bollocks - of course the players are playing for him and busting a gut., we saw that last night and that Conte CARES. The methods work but we have players who simply aren't good enough. There was togertherness last night and even players like Emerson who we know arent good enough never give less than 100%.There aren't any Ndombele types in the first XI.

I also dont buy the argument that its 100% certain its Levy's fault if we dont get Zaniolo - much as I can't stand the man and his behaviour. Injury issues, the fact that selling club wont accept a loan and the fact that the player may prefer to stay in Italy could all be big factors. Danjuma signing could prove to be a shrewd one -Son isnt pulling up any trees and needs competition. Porro hopefully we will get over the line too looks very promising

Conte's personal situation may be very different in March or April - improved - and by then we could have really turned a corner if players stay fit and with the fixture congestion easing. I really hope he stays and his family relocates here.

Its still all to play for. And a good end to the season leaves us in a far better place if Conte decides the personal issues are irreconcilable - and we could then look at a wider selection of managers too

 

[WiganSpur]

We are pretty much screwed, aren't we? Conte will leave. Since he is leaving, no need to back him in our chairman's mind. When Conte leaves, his friend Paratici leaves as well which the club doesn't fight at all due to the bad publicity he has associated with him. Therefore we go into the summer with a very average squad whose three most senior players either want to leave (Kane) or are too old (Lloris) or may be hitting a career wall (Son).

Luckily for us I guess, one constant will remain. He is untouchable, and since he is untouchable, he will be the one and only one to decide the next manager, the next DOF, and how to spend our "meager" transfer budget to fix the squad's many issues. A guy who can't even get naming rights done for the nicest stadium in Europe for some four years or so is back in charge of all those decisions, after screwing up the three previous times he has had to make these decisions. A bald, penny-pinching, control freak whose massive ego has screwed this club up for the past four years and has put us in this really shitty position.

Yeah we're screwed.

The depressing thing about this is that it's realistic.

CBs, RB, GK, CAM and Kane replacement needed, Kane being sold for under market value leaving us with about £100m after DL probably manages to shift one out of the 7/8 players we want shot of. No capital injection any more and a spend what we earn transfer window. I predict only a couple of decent players in with that kind of money, probably a centre half and a keeper. Next manager hung out to dry with players they don't want.

It'll be Poch. And he'll get told he'll have the chance to finally make his GLC and Ndombele signings work.