Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[delawarespur]

I get your point and can see that you really want to see success, but I genuinely believe that the world of football is changing, and in my opinion for the better. The days of WC's going to nations that have to build entire cities to host events was always unsustainable, but its only now that FIFA are standing up and listening. We all read read little Daniel's piece in the BBC last week, and why may of us will dismiss this as typical Levy, he's right. Every industry needs to be more sustainable, possibly 50 years too late in most cases, but it has to happen. A few small Conte investments as you say may be a key, but I'd wager they'd all be over 30 and at their peak, so what does that really do for our sustainability model?

The Paratici buys have worked pretty well. More like those would be nice and do fit with the club. Perisic is the only signing since Conte’s been here that screams Conte but he was considered the best in the world in his position (even though it’s quite specific). It’s be different if he was demanding old or extremely pricy players, but I don’t think he is. Sustainability is key as you say. I’d have a different view if I thought that was in jeopardy with Conte.

 

[vinsomer]

Huge HUGE red flag that the end of a manager is near when the fans unanimously start to notice obvious things yet the manager does nothing about it. 343 doesn't suit our squad. Eric Dier is a complete brainless footballer. Son should be benched. Late subs kills games. Happened with Poch and Jose, and now Conte. You just know his time here is ending soon

 

[rossdapep]

Im starting to turn.

Ive defended him a lot.

Dier and Davies will never win you trophies.
Weve had problematic injuries.
There has been deaths and other issues off field.

All of those things are true. But Conte quite simply isn't getting a tune out of them.

Tonight we did defend better, still had mistakes, but offensively we offered so little other than passes into Kane and trying to get runners off him.

The infuriatingly frustrating Son has still not been benched despite everyone seeing that it isn't working. Either adapt his role, or bench him.

Conte isn't helping himself.
Porro being thrown in with Tanganga on his debut.
Richarlison getting little game time and when he does it's in the wrong position.
Danjuma hardly being used.
Late subs despite nothing happening and needed to overturn a deficit.
Constantly benching Kulusevski despite him being our best attacker earlier in the season.
Not switching to 3 in the middle enough to wrestle control when losing it.
Not getting the best out of Bissouma.

He is a stubborn guy, and we were warned, and it is what makes him a winner. But all of these things have harmed the team and whilst nothing changes, nothing improves.

The other major issue is not having any commitment.

If you could see he was all in, there would be more patience as I believe with Conte you have to push through his stubborness to achieve. But that's pointless if he's wanting to go home or in doubt.

Because of this stand off, he should be the one making changes and tweaks as he needs to show he's worth sticking with.

A bit od stubborness is fine, I totally agree with him about Spence. But other aspects are hurting the team and there's no upside to it.

For example, Son has put that same performance in at least 20 times this season and he has 6 goals to show for it and nothing else.

Back in November we just said he needs time to get out of thd funk. Well 3 months later and he's doing exactly the same.

In the meantime, there's an aggressive attacker on the bench who you wanted and who can do what Son is being asked to do better, yet he gets 15 minutes here and there??? Failing that you have Danjuma who is much better at holding and linking.

This is only heading one way. We can all see it.

I wanted him to stay and be given time, and i don't want Levy off the hook, but its all inevitable and it doesn't make sense to let it rumble on when stuff is up for grabs.

I'd actually have respect for Levy if he decided it was unacceptable, had no faith as he knew Conte wants to go, paid him off and brought in someone who can give this team direction, a lift and confidence to win something.


Because for the first time it would show he actually wants to win something.

 

[olliec]

IIt’s going to be very hard to attract A++ players if Conte does leave as I don’t think will get CL this season. The injuries we have are such a huge blow to our chances. I. think it’s time for Son to go and let Richy kulu and Kane lead the front line next season. If we can get 2 CB, a keeper and one creative midfielder in the summer we would be in a really strong position next season under Conte or whoever decides to come in.

 

[DannyNZ]

We just don’t have the players to make this Conte formation work. When Kulu was on fire it worked but with him off the pace there isn’t the offensive creativity coming from the front three or the wing backs. I’d prefer to see use using Richy and Kane as a front pairing with Danjuma and Kulu outside in a 442, Son coming off the bench until he finds some form. Even a back four looks a bit shakey but Emerson, Romero, Dier, Davies is all we’ve got. Porro provides cover for Kulu.

This will be why I’m back grafting tomorrow while Conte’s coaching.

 

[DanielJohnCosta]

IIt’s going to be very hard to attract A++ players if Conte does leave as I don’t think will get CL this season. The injuries we have are such a huge blow to our chances. I. think it’s time for Son to go and let Richy kulu and Kane lead the front line next season. If we can get 2 CB, a keeper and one creative midfielder in the summer we would be in a really strong position next season under Conte or whoever decides to come in.

honestly this is such a myth, if the salary is good + living in London + chance of playing in the Prem the players will come.

 

[Spurvert]

Yes, this isn’t working. I don’t think anything happens before the end of the season, but zero chance he is here beyond that.

Should give Daniel and the club plenty of time to figure out who to appoint next…

 

[midoshairband]

IIt’s going to be very hard to attract A++ players if Conte does leave as I don’t think will get CL this season. The injuries we have are such a huge blow to our chances. I. think it’s time for Son to go and let Richy kulu and Kane lead the front line next season. If we can get 2 CB, a keeper and one creative midfielder in the summer we would be in a really strong position next season under Conte or whoever decides to come in.

having no CL hasn't stopped that lot down the road building a potential title winning team. with a plan and ambition, no CL isn't an excuse.

 

[leray]

What baffles me is that Conte is portrayed as this ultra winner who shows ambition in every little thing he does yet he doesn’t give a toss about the most elite competition in football. The last time he won a knockout game in the Champions League was in 2013. Now we have an out of form opponent in Milan and show no ambition going forward.

 

[sidford]

We couldn't lay a glove on a team that had won 1 of its past 8 games and who had a 37 year old sub in goal. This is after we were thorn to shreds by Leicester at the weekend.

Most of us accept that Levy is the main issue at the club and that some of our players should not be at a top 4 club but Conte this season has performed really poorly and doesn't deserve to be here next season. Players are devoid of confidence, look like they have never played together before and are exposed by a system he continues to persist with despite it being clear to everyone else that it doesn't fit the players he has or that he's able to coach the players sufficiently well enough to play it.

And all of this for 15m a year and a lad who considers himself one of best in world.

 

[Pochemon94]

Seems at least substantial to me if not massive, so maybe he’s just making excuses now?

yeah we did have a substantial year in terms of spending but the problem is the gap between the top 3 to us i feel (could be super wrong) huge. Like im talking 100s of millions. I understand that will never be us and that's fine but we really put ourselves in a horrible spot when we were refusing to spend money. We missed the boat with our core because of it. Dele turned to mush, Kane isn't getting younger/could dip, Son turned into a pumpkin along with lloris. Our defenders we shouldve moved on from Dier, Davies are borderline bottom level PL defenders. With the cost of players going up every year, what we couldve bought in 2017-19 for 20-30 mil pounds are now 70-100 mil players now pricing us out. Those 5 mil punts we used to take that are low risk are now 20-30 mil. Kulu turned out great but a player with that big risk when we got him would've been 10 mil obligation is now 40 mil. That's the massive problem. So the problem is we have to invest massive amounts of money just to keep up from here on out or we will be overtaken by more and more clubs that get bought out by US investors/oil states

 

[HotSprut]

having no CL hasn't stopped that lot down the road building a potential title winning team. with a plan and ambition, no CL isn't an excuse.

Everything is an excuse for Levy, be it No CL, Covid, Inflated markets, HG quotas or simply to many players on the books.

There's always a reason why we can't compete with the other top clubs, and it's always "out of our hands"

 

[FinnYid]

Dier and Davies will never win you trophies.

,
Davies has more recent trophy than Spurs, League Cup with Swansea at 2013

 

[Chris Finch]

I’ve turned now. It’s time to go.
He doesn’t want to be here, the football is shite and his team selections and subs are awful

 

[GetSpurredOn]

Massive disconnect between our midfield and forwards. CM’s are trying to thread passes from too deep which are just getting picked off by defenders advancing into the space. 352 has to be the answer, the front 3 are too disconnected. Get the front two closer together to start putting pressure on, have the fullbacks push higher for the width, let a 3 man CM take control of the middle of the pitch, maybe one as a more orthodox holder closing space when the full backs push high, other two given license to roam higher up and pressurise. Getting them closer to CF’s should make through balls harder to pick off. I’d even be inclined to look at using Perisic as one of the CM’s if we are so short or get Kulusevski into the midst of the action more, and get Sessegnon running up and down from LWB.

Forster;
Romero, Dier, Davies;
Porro, Skipp, Sarr, Deki/Peresic, Sess;
Kane, Son/Richarlison.​

Conte is starting to appear an isolated figure. Gone are the days of emotion brimming out of him, jumping up and embracing his fellow coaches and players. He just looks like a guy who’s running on empty and drifting painfully towards an anticipated exit. He knows his deal is out and is just waiting to go. It’s like being sat in an airport after a good holiday, but now you’re tired and unengaged, just killing time till you can get on the plane home. Not sure if this is the backlash of the personal issues he’s had this last year, lot of emotion drained probably losing close friends and apparently family not with him. Just seems like it’s best for all parties to end this. Let Conte go home to his family and recharge. Let us hope for a bit of a new manager bounce. Hope for some excitement at actually playing some football we can get behind. It just all seems like a bad fit from the off. I never quite believed he was invested, the 18 month deal was a red flag. I didn’t see Conte giving him the players he wanted and needed. Back end of last season, I saw the passion and will to win, and thought maybe I was wrong. But the last few months have been painful to watch, negative football, the run of going behind every week became almost laughable.
It’s time to rip the plaster off.

 

[panoma]

Yep, but I'd take that over this bullshit. I chose to watch a crap Valentines film with the wife over the game tonight because I knew it was going to be the same lethargic, unattractive bollocks this man churns out. It was a wise choice.

You and me both mate.

First game I skipped in years. Spurs used to be the highlight of the weekend, or at the very least something I looked forward to, nowadays it feels like a chore watching us.

To be fair to Conte the lethargic brand of football we play started years before his arrival. Sadly, nothing have changed.

 

[RuskyM]

First game I skipped in years. Spurs used to be the highlight of the weekend, or at the very least something I looked forward to, nowadays it feels like a chore watching us.

To be fair to Conte the lethargic brand of football we play started years before his arrival. Sadly, nothing have changed.

We’ve been seen as passive and defensive for so long. Has any side won anything since we appointed Mourinho being this retrograde and playing on the back foot? Lille in 2021, maybe?

 

[HildoSpur]

What baffles me is that Conte is portrayed as this ultra winner who shows ambition in every little thing he does yet he doesn’t give a toss about the most elite competition in football. The last time he won a knockout game in the Champions League was in 2013. Now we have an out of form opponent in Milan and show no ambition going forward.

'he doesn't give a toss' about the champions League you say? Talking utter dirge aren't you now.

 

[Shanks]

corr, something’s gotta give really ain’t it, don’t look like he is interested at all ?

 

[leray]

'he doesn't give a toss' about the champions League you say? Talking utter dirge aren't you now.

He last won a knockout game in 2013.