Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[sidford]

Will be interesting if/when the South stand sing Antonio's chant

Been ages since I heard his name sung which is unusual for a manager out sick. If it isn't sung then even match day fans probably happy enough to get rid

 

[DanielJohnCosta]

Will be interesting if/when the South stand sing Antonio's chant

He’s magic you knowwwwwwww

 

[GMI]

How does Pitt-Brook research that spurs fans would love Poch back? Does he just ask a couple of fans as his sample ?

Danny Kelly?

 

[Dakes]

Think it just boils down to opportunity rather than need, most times.

Opportunistic is a very good way to describe our signings when Levy had any involvement in them.

 

[SirNiNyHotspur]

This irks me a bit, we haven't fallen short for the best part of 40 windows, our peers like Villa, Newcastle, Everton have. We've had excellent, good and bad periods throughout. We made the elite 4 an elite 6. Our strategy has floundered since we pushed ourselves into the top 4. Levy understood what it took us to get in there but he's been all over the place when trying to take us to the next level.
He's disliked, I get that but the hyperbole does my head in

This irks me a bit, it's a little disingenuous to include us in the elite 6, yes perhaps elite in every way except where it matters most (to fans at least). Really there are an elite 5 (soon to be 6) clubs with ambition that consisently or semi-consisently win things and then there's us who scrape in and around there based of which 1 or 2 (sometimes more) are underperforming, it's why we were laughed when ENIC tried to get us in the ESL as a superclub, we're really a best of the rest club who is best placed to benefit when others flounder. Really we've never truly excelled under ENIC with the exception of 2016 and 2017 where we were one of the best, if not the best on merit, we played some beautiful stuff and feared no-one, we had a chance to establish ourselves again as an elite club but still came up short as the ambition wasn't there to get those 1 or 2 missing pieces striking whilst the iron was hot. In any case the rate we're going we'll soon be talking about an elite 10, and it will mean little if we're still not winning anything...

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

This irks me a bit, we haven't fallen short for the best part of 40 windows, our peers like Villa, Newcastle, Everton have. We've had excellent, good and bad periods throughout. We made the elite 4 an elite 6. Our strategy has floundered since we pushed ourselves into the top 4. Levy understood what it took us to get in there but he's been all over the place when trying to take us to the next level.
He's disliked, I get that but the hyperbole does my head in

On the flip side, it’s It’s a valid criticism that needs to be levelled at Levy’s feet.

He hasn’t fallen short outside of the pitch, at all. If anything he’s the best performing chairman in the world in that regard but he has absolutely shot us in the foot in terms of player recruitment time and time again.

When we had our best chance ever to become a truly big club, top 4 not top 6, he didn’t push the boat out to get us there. We ran a 20km race and decided to stop with 500m to go.

No one honestly believes that Poch’s reign was so successful because of the player recruitment. If anything he has a bunch of average players that he developed into stars. Eriksen would probably be the only exception. Any other world class player we signed was opportunistic at best (Alderweireld, Wanyama) and

It’s completely inexcusable that we went an entire window without signing any players. There is no worse than that in terms of “falling short”.

 

[DiVaio]

Based on ITKs on this forum, it is not true. They just did not want to pay for him. That is why 50 mil. was not used.

Or based on multiple quotes from Bastoni and Bastoni agent, he wanted to stay at Inter. They didn't want to pay 60 or sth for top target Bastoni but one month later decided to spend 60m for backup forward Richarlison - makes complete sense, isn't it?

 

[funkycoldmedina]

On the flip side, it’s It’s a valid criticism that needs to be levelled at Levy’s feet.

He hasn’t fallen short outside of the pitch, at all. If anything he’s the best performing chairman in the world in that regard but he has absolutely shot us in the foot in terms of player recruitment time and time again.

When we had our best chance ever to become a truly big club, top 4 not top 6, he didn’t push the boat out to get us there. We ran a 20km race and decided to stop with 500m to go.

No one honestly believes that Poch’s reign was so successful because of the player recruitment. If anything he has a bunch of average players that he developed into stars. Eriksen would probably be the only exception. Any other world class player we signed was opportunistic at best (Alderweireld, Wanyama) and

It’s completely inexcusable that we went an entire window without signing any players. There is no worse than that in terms of “falling short”.

If you read what I wrote I said we've been all over the place since he made us a fixture in the top 4.
And to diminish a squad of players other than Eriksen is laughable. At some point Levy put someone in place who recruited Jan, Toby, Walker, Rose, Alli etc. You can't have it both ways, he's responsible for all the shite and has nothing to do with any positivity.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Gonzo the Great?

Interesting option indeed...

In-between red & blue

 

[hero]

Or based on multiple quotes from Bastoni and Bastoni agent, he wanted to stay at Inter. They didn't want to pay 60 or sth for top target Bastoni but one month later decided to spend 60m for backup forward Richarlison - makes complete sense, isn't it?

Playing the game mate, he'd have come no question.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

If you read what I wrote I said we've been all over the place since he made us a fixture in the top 4.
And to diminish a squad of players other than Eriksen is laughable. At some point Levy put someone in place who recruited Jan, Toby, Walker, Rose, Alli etc. You can't have it both ways, he's responsible for all the shite and has nothing to do with any positivity.

Eriksen was literally the only player we signed under Poch that was highly coveted by the elite clubs of the world. Not one of the players you mentioned were coveted until Poch got his hands on them.

That’s one of the reasons why we managed to sign those players whilst paying the lower end of wages in comparison to what they could get elsewhere if they were coveted. Don’t forget the financial position we were in when the stadium was being built and before the consistent PL money.

And if you had read what I wrote, I said everything he’s done off the pitch including hiring whoever signed those players you mentioned is incredible.
So I have no idea how you came to the conclusion at the end of your post.

Fact is in terms of signing players Levy has always operated on financials first basis. This has handicapped us more than it has benefited us over the past 20 years. I think that’s the point Trix is trying to make and I agree with it.

It doesn’t mean we don’t admire what Levy has done for the club.

 

[kmk]

Eriksen was literally the only player we signed under Poch that was highly coveted by the elite clubs of the world. Not one of the players you mentioned were coveted until Poch got his hands on them.

That’s one of the reasons why we managed to sign those players whilst paying the lower end of wages in comparison to what they could get elsewhere if they were coveted. Don’t forget the financial position we were in when the stadium was being built and before the consistent PL money.

And if you had read what I wrote, I said everything he’s done off the pitch including hiring whoever signed those players you mentioned is incredible.
So I have no idea how you came to the conclusion at the end of your post.

Fact is in terms of signing players Levy has always operated on financials first basis. This has handicapped us more than it has benefited us over the past 20 years. I think that’s the point Trix is trying to make and I agree with it.

It doesn’t mean we don’t admire what Levy has done for the club.

Eriksen was signed when AVB was in charge.

 

[The Doc]

Eriksen was literally the only player we signed under Poch that was highly coveted by the elite clubs of the world. Not one of the players you mentioned were coveted until Poch got his hands on them.

That’s one of the reasons why we managed to sign those players whilst paying the lower end of wages in comparison to what they could get elsewhere if they were coveted. Don’t forget the financial position we were in when the stadium was being built and before the consistent PL money.

And if you had read what I wrote, I said everything he’s done off the pitch including hiring whoever signed those players you mentioned is incredible.
So I have no idea how you came to the conclusion at the end of your post.

Fact is in terms of signing players Levy has always operated on financials first basis. This has handicapped us more than it has benefited us over the past 20 years. I think that’s the point Trix is trying to make and I agree with it.

It doesn’t mean we don’t admire what Levy has done for the club.

Eriksen was signed under AVB. One of the gazillion we brought in with the Bale windfall, and arguably the one outstanding success. I know, Lamela and maybe Chadli too up to a point. If we were that club, as in the one who hoovered up the best young talent, sold some on, and used the proceeds to recycle again, I could get on-board. We so clearly are not that though. Depressing read today. I wonder, if we lose Conte, Paratici and Kane this Summer, whether Levy will soon be surveying an increasingly empty stadium and mid-table obscurity. Would at least complete the circular journey back to where he came in I guess.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Our targets don't make sense to me. We went for Diaz an inside left attacker and then missed out and got Kulusevski (thank god) who is an inside right attacker. We wanted Zaniolo an inside right attacker and got Danjuma an inside left attacker

Yeah Diaz was a weird one but maybe the thinking was that either him or Son could operate on the right to accommodate the other. I think Danjuma was just a case of getting in another body up top when it was clear the Zaniolo deal wasn’t going to happen and there were question marks over Moura’s fitness.

 

[Dazza71]

I don't know how NDAs work in football but I'd imagine when Levy sacks a manager they have to sign something that stops them going to the press. If he lets Conte's contract run down then surely he is free to give his story to whoever. I'm sure Levy would rather sack Conte even if its in the last month of the season than risk his and the clubs name being smeared in the media.

 

[spursfan77]

He said today when he was ill he was seriously worried it was something serious (because of what happened to his friends this year) but glad it wasn’t serious when he was diagnosed. We’ve all been there when we’ve had something wrong with us and feared the worst. Usually it’s alright and glad it was for him.

An emotional time but he seems satisfied to be back. Let’s just get through tomorrow night then take it from there.

 

[rossdapep]

He did sound genuine too, Conte didn't have him in a headlock!

Now if Conte worked for Everton it may be different!

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

I wonder, if we lose Conte, Paratici and Kane this Summer, whether Levy will soon be surveying an increasingly empty stadium and mid-table obscurity. Would at least complete the circular journey back to where he came in I guess.

Just never going to happen. I’ve been reading that we’ll sink back into mid table obscurity since I joined this forum 15 years ago. And we’ve never even been close. Even if we lose all the people you’ve listed we’ll still have a good squad and we’ll likely appoint a good manager.

 

[rossdapep]

I'm not happy with a number of things but I'm gonna get behind him until he is gone.

Hoping that he rejuvenates the team and we see a much more desirable performance tomorrow.

 

[Grey Fox]

Just never going to happen. I’ve been reading that we’ll sink back into mid table obscurity since I joined this forum 15 years ago. And we’ve never even been close. Even if we lose all the people you’ve listed we’ll still have a good squad and we’ll likely appoint a good manager.

God I miss the optimistic emoji