Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[felmani26]

Conte;

"Every season I want to be competitive to win something. If this doesn't happen then it's not a positive for me"

Veiled attack at the players, board or both?

 

[jimbo]

No He didn't he is 8th.

View attachment 123486

Can't prove that either way.


I picked the 2 most obvious options.

Adebayor - Fair enough, he was better under Sherwood. He didn't suit Poch's style of play.
Soldado - was poor under both.
Kaboul - was poor under both, had started to decline due to injuries before Sherwood took over.
Chrirches - Poor under both.
Yedlin - Didn't play under Sherwood, as he had't signed yet.
Fazio - Didn't play under Sherwood, as he had't signed yet.
Paulinho - Poor under both.
Chadli - Improved. His best season for us was under Poch, we just upgraded.
Stambouli - Didn't play under Sherwood, as he had't signed yet.
Capoue - Poor under both.

To add a few more:
Walker - Improved under Poch (was injured for 1/2 the time Sherwood was in charge though).
Eriksen - Improved under Poch.
Dembele - Improved under Poch.


Even before Poch joined, I remember there were articles quoting Southampton players saying it takes 9 months for teams to adapt to his system, so it wasn't a surprise that it started slowly.

He had the highest win percentage in the Premier League of any Spurs manager, at that time - surely you haven't forgotten how much he went on about it?

We can argue back and forth about who improved, by what measure you judge it, how much that was down to Poch etc. But basically you agree with me and the original point I was making, it took Poch time to bed in and for the squad to adjust to his system - he wasn't an overnight sensation. I remember the majority on this forum being very sceptical about whether or not he was up to the job, the football did not look any better than it had under AVB and arguably worse than it did when Sherwood was going mental with Chadli in midfield. He got time and it paid off handsomely.

To me it's pretty relevant to the here and now because if, as seems likely, he's the next man in then he will need time again to make his mark - we as fans will need to be that thing we're generally terrible at: patient. Outsized expectations based on a mis-remembered past won't help him at all.

 

[sidford]

Conte;

"Every season I want to be competitive to win something. If this doesn't happen then it's not a positive for me"

Veiled attack at the players, board or both?

He must of let stellini pick the team versus Sheffield United so

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

I was all for Conte, but now there is a very bad odour around the place created by him. He has had a very difficult few months. He needs to just go, even if we progress in the CL. The atmosphere is not going to change overnight. I just cannot see it.

Partly Conte's fault based on not committing to an extended deal and generally being a bit mopey and negative and producing a rigid fairly dull style of play, partly not his fault due to his sad and unfortunate personal circumstances this year.

Looking like a no-brainer to thank him for his hard work but to part ways this summer if not sooner if/when we go out of the CL.

 

[rossdapep]

Yep, our football and best run came about when we played with energy and intensity and steamrollered oppositions who couldn't live with it. The front four had freedom and put some good football together, but this was virtually always off the back of the effort, tempo, and aggression we put in as a team.

As we discussed the other week, I'm not keen on Poch coming back. If it is happening then I'd want full on, no compromise, PochBall on steroids but I see quite considerable problems here...... I see fans fretting about him coming in and the likes of Dier, Davies, et al getting more chances. Well I think the bigger question is what happens with Son and Kane (that's if he doesn't go, and with a year left on his contract it's crunch time anyway). If the club wants Poch, these two need booting out to be brutally frank. They won't run, won't press, and at 30+ that is only going to get worse, so immediately you're making compromises on how you want to play. I doubt anyone at the club would have the bollocks to do it though, and like fuck would the fans show any understanding or leeway as to why you're doing this.

Obviously it would only be a starting point, but if we got a centre back to partner Romero then I'd say on paper there's a lot of the nucleus of something Poch could work with - Romero +1 as a partnership, on the flanks Emerson/Porro and say Udogie/Reguilon could provide thrust, and all 5 cm's I see as compatible for a Poch central midfield and he could work with them...... But then the problems start......... I see problems with the attack. We miss the conductor/creator for the Eriksen responsibilities, I've mentioned Kane and Son but I don't think Kulu is fantastic at pressing/off the ball either (though is young enough to be moulded you'd hope). Most fans want signings in defence, but I'd see us needing to make major surgery at the top of the team.

To be perfectly honest, I think we need a significant change around up top anyway and now may be a perfect time.

We keep hiring coaches to get the very best out of Kane and Son. Yet, it's not getting us real far....and these two don't have much longer left.

Son is 31 in July, and much of his game is based on bursts of pace.
Kane is 30 in the summer, although he could probably be effective even at 35.
Lucas needs to go and probably will.
Danjuma could be an option but he needs to play for us to know.
Richarlison will press like a demon.

So 3 out of the 5 are an issue.

I see Kane as less of a problem because we know he brings a lot to the table. But we need more energy around him, I'd be looking to replace Son and bring in an alternative to Kulusevski AND a creative attacking midfielder.

If Danjuma is not considered an option then we need to spend big on a Son replacement.

 

[sidford]

I've definitely become a bit irrational in my disliking for him as what he is saying makes sense but my only reaction is, why not play players who are in form and send them out to be proactive and you might get the crowd behind you.

 

[Impspur1]

I was all for Conte, but now there is a very bad odour around the place created by him. He has had a very difficult few months. He needs to just go, even if we progress in the CL. The atmosphere is not going to change overnight. I just cannot see it.

Didn’t his operation sort his odour problem?

 

[Impspur1]

Conte;

"Every season I want to be competitive to win something. If this doesn't happen then it's not a positive for me"

Veiled attack at the players, board or both?

Probably the entire universe

 

[Hoddlegenius]

Why are we always in this cycle of bringing in some ‘great / well decorated managers’ and then after a couple of seasons if that, we hear things like ‘bad odour around the place’, ‘lost the dressing room’, ‘wants to go’, ‘players don’t trust or have faith in him’ etc etc?
For once it would be nice to have a manager who doesn’t fall out with everyone, who plays some half decent football and creates a togetherness and mentality that remains not just for a season or 2 but maybe for 10 or 15 years!
I know modern football sees very few long term, single club managerial careers at the top level these days but so many things about our club are like some sort of Groundhog Day.
How ‘Spurs’ (note I didn’t use ‘Spursy!’) would it be for Conte to go, Poch comes in, lifts the spirits, gets us to the Champions League Final, loses, cries and falls apart emotionally and then gets sacked 1/2 way through next season?
Everything is in place at this club in terms of the stadium, increased revenue, world class training facilities etc. yet we just don’t push on and make that extra step to take the football (and ultimately the very thing that we are - a FOOTBALL team) to the next level of not only entertaining us but actually winning a trophy here and there.
Like many, I am fed up with this merry-go-round of managers, sackings, near misses etc.
Unfortunately I just don’t see anything changing until we have a complete ‘off the pitch’ overhaul at owner / board level. I don’t want any dodgy billionaire owners, just someone willing to put a bit of money in (yes, I know we have spent money but not enough to overhaul this squad as much as it requires) and take a gamble to push us to the next level of actually winning something shiny!
Rant over - COYS, smash Milan tomorrow!

 

[A Bit Much]

Conte;

"Every season I want to be competitive to win something. If this doesn't happen then it's not a positive for me"

Veiled attack at the players, board or both?

It's funny how people take different things from comments. I just listened to a clip of him talking about going out of the fa cup and thought god it's pointless listening to most managers because they just say very clear and basic things all the time, essentially "I'm sad we lost, we must look forward to the next game".

Maybe though I'm too thick to work out the veiled threats and verbal warfare on the go!

 

[The Doc]

I was all for Conte, but now there is a very bad odour around the place created by him. He has had a very difficult few months. He needs to just go, even if we progress in the CL. The atmosphere is not going to change overnight. I just cannot see it.

FFS. What has he done? Insist on having GB news on in the gym and changing room? Assume another interim appointment incoming then. This club man.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

I was all for Conte, but now there is a very bad odour around the place created by him. He has had a very difficult few months. He needs to just go, even if we progress in the CL. The atmosphere is not going to change overnight. I just cannot see it.

Same thing was said at the end of Jose’s tenure, which tells me one thing. We have too many weak mentality players at the club.

That and Conte’s rotting gall bladder seems to be the problem here.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

FFS. What has he done? Insist on having GB news on in the gym and changing room? Assume another interim appointment incoming then. This club man

He probably just told our players they’re shit, and the truth hurts. Some players hear that and push on, others hear that and they need their diapers changed. I suspect we have a bunch of the latter at our club.

You only have to look at the FA cup exit to know these players don’t have the mentality we need to be a winning, kill the game club. That’s what Conte works best with.

 

[whitesocks]

Conte;

"Every season I want to be competitive to win something. If this doesn't happen then it's not a positive for me"

Veiled attack at the players, board or both?

When we hand over 6 points to arsenal for their title quest, that is not a positive for me.
This will need to be be weighed against anything he does achieve this season and he certainly could turn things around.

 

[Trix]

Conte;

"Every season I want to be competitive to win something. If this doesn't happen then it's not a positive for me"

Veiled attack at the players, board or both?

It's just the truth. Lets be honest here...The board have failed to back the manager as to what he needs. The manager has failed to get the best out of what he has(but that isn't what kind of manager he is), and the players have failed to turn up on too many occasions.

Now whether or not you are in the camp that Conte is expecting too much financially is irrelevant. We as fans all knew exactly what he'd expect and demand prior to him coming in, and so should the board so once again this entire mess is all on them and on Levy.

 

[YB123]

Same thing was said at the end of Jose’s tenure, which tells me one thing. We have too many weak mentality players at the club.

That and Conte’s rotting gall bladder seems to be the problem here.

Of course they are. How many chances have nearly a dozen of them had now.

We need to do what the scum did and cut our losses, admit defeat and build and pay over the odds for young talent to develop.

Oh wait, one problem. Levy.

 

[carpediem991]

It's just the truth. Lets be honest here...The board have failed to back the manager as to what he needs. The manager has failed to get the best out of what he has(but that isn't what kind of manager he is), and the players have failed to turn up on too many occasions.

Now whether or not you are in the camp that Conte is expecting too much financially is irrelevant. We as fans all knew exactly what he'd expect and demand prior to him coming in, and so should the board so once again this entire mess is all on them and on Levy.

Could go on ages about that but surely no one knew how extremely limited and non flexible his style of management is or have I missed that beforehand? And especially I will not accept the bold part. Surely he needs players for his system (as every manager does), but its always the main task of a manager to get the best out what he has. If its his players or not...

I just can not get behind the entire mess is on Levy and the board...

 

[C-oops]

It's just the truth. Lets be honest here...The board have failed to back the manager as to what he needs. The manager has failed to get the best out of what he has(but that isn't what kind of manager he is), and the players have failed to turn up on too many occasions.

Now whether or not you are in the camp that Conte is expecting too much financially is irrelevant. We as fans all knew exactly what he'd expect and demand prior to him coming in, and so should the board so once again this entire mess is all on them and on Levy.

They must have lied to him as well then because he wouldn't have come without reassurances. And I'd say that's 50/50 on him and Levy because who would believe that levy would suddenly change his entire M O ...

 

[carpediem991]

They must have lied to him as well then because he wouldn't have come without reassurances. And I'd say that's 50/50 on him and Levy because who would believe that levy would suddenly change his entire M O ...

You would imagine that you can achieve more success with funds around 200/300m plus available cash for a suitable CB that was apparently available (but not the target).
So we blame the board now that we spend loads of cash on players of Paraticis and Contes choice that Conte has not been able to integrate really?

 

[ILS]

You would imagine that you can achieve more success with funds around 200/300m plus available cash for a suitable CB that was apparently available (but not the target).
So we blame the board now that we spend loads of cash on players of Paraticis and Contes choice that Conte has not been able to integrate really?

I don't get the centre back argument. If he wanted a centre back that much he could have easily forsaken Richarlison or a Bissouma if it was all about funds.

He wanted Bastoni and he didn't want to come. Does anyone with a brain cell who is not blinded by some of the drivel that gets posted on this board, believes for one moment that Lenglet was not chosen by Conte before an Ndicka or Hincappie?

Just look at the make up of the players especially in regards to Conte's one big wish "Experience"