Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[leray]

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.

NDAs are common practice when managers / DOFs are sacked. And they work both ways.

 

[The Doc]

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.

Agree, but feels different this time. Kane is genuinely irreplaceable. Also have several clubs who are already close to us as things are. We would either need to find another 20 goal a season forward, and a way of compensating for what he gives us as a 10 and a 9, or find more than one forward to share 20 goals amongst, and a way of compensating for what he gives us as a 10 and a 9. On the hoof too as doubtless it won't all be in place for pre-season. Also note Levy is allegedly "reluctant" to sell Kane to a PL club. Not "refusing".

 

[spursfan77]

For anyone who listens to it the lads on VFTL have completely turned on Conte. Jack Pitt Brooke always kept his cards close to chest on it and was never overly critical but after Sheffield game he was very critical and now in this one he's openly calling for Conte to get sacked. He says theres no chance he's here past end of season and very much doubts he 'll be manager for our last game of season against Leeds.

They did make a good point and it's something I noticed at the hammers game I was at is that there were absolutely no Conte chants at all which considering your manager is out sick is strange particularly with how vocal the crowd used to be towards him. Personal opinion is that it's not just online that fans that have stopped backing Conte also think it's the match going fans as well

It never really occurred to me to sing it. I was more concerned with winning the game at the time rather than the manager. I suspect thousands of others in the crowd thought the same and instead were happy to rather sing songs about West Ham being shit.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Agree, but feels different this time. Kane is genuinely irreplaceable. Also have several clubs who are already close to us as things are. We would either need to find another 20 goal a season forward, and a way of compensating for what he gives us as a 10 and a 9, or find more than one forward to share 20 goals amongst, and a way of compensating for what he gives us as a 10 and a 9. On the hoof too as doubtless it won't all be in place for pre-season. Also note Levy is allegedly "reluctant" to sell Kane to a PL club. Not "refusing".

Agree it's going to be a massive challenge replacing Kane's goals. But with Richarlison, Son (if we can get him back up to speed), Kulu, and midfielders chipping in, we should still have enough.

Arsenal, Man U, Newcastle etc... don't have 20 goal a season strikers but still manage compensate by sharing the goals around the team and keeping it tight at the back.

 

[The Doc]

Agree it's going to be a massive challenge replacing Kane's goals. But with Richarlison, Son (if we can get him back up to speed), Kulu, and midfielders chipping in, we should still have enough.

Arsenal, Man U, Newcastle etc... don't have 20 goal a season strikers but still manage compensate by sharing the goals around the team and keeping it tight at the back.

Ok. I was with you until the final sentence......

 

[sidford]

It never really occurred to me to sing it. I was more concerned with winning the game at the time rather than the manager. I suspect thousands of others in the crowd thought the same and instead were happy to rather sing songs about West Ham being shit.

Was in west upper for that game and alot were singing west ham was shit alright. Atmosphere tomorrow and then on sat will say everything. Lose tomorrow and a slow start on sat and atmosphere will be mutinous I reckon & will definitely be directed at levy/Enic more than Conte

 

[Metalhead]

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...

Yes - I appreciate that the term 'elite' is subjective to a point but I agree that it's hard to describe ourselves as part of the elite really, with our derth of trophies in the premier League era. I know that people will claim that they're not bothered about trophies but I think that it's hard to make a case that they're unimportant amongst football fans in general.

 

[wspur]

For anyone who listens to it the lads on VFTL have completely turned on Conte. Jack Pitt Brooke always kept his cards close to chest on it and was never overly critical but after Sheffield game he was very critical and now in this one he's openly calling for Conte to get sacked. He says theres no chance he's here past end of season and very much doubts he 'll be manager for our last game of season against Leeds.

They did make a good point and it's something I noticed at the hammers game I was at is that there were absolutely no Conte chants at all which considering your manager is out sick is strange particularly with how vocal the crowd used to be towards him. Personal opinion is that it's not just online that fans that have stopped backing Conte also think it's the match going fans as well

Really good points on the VFTL imo. Bad squad management, openly blaming the club for everything at every occasion, dreadful football with a handfull of acceptable performances and we only find ourselves in a decent position thanks to Chelsea and Liverpool underperforming, by no means we are the 4th best team in the league. Also pointing out that he's the only one playing his style of football and maybe there is a reason for that...

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Was in west upper for that game and alot were singing west ham was shit alright. Atmosphere tomorrow and then on sat will say everything. Lose tomorrow and a slow start on sat and atmosphere will be mutinous I reckon & will definitely be directed at levy/Enic more than Conte

Yep.

I think signing Porro took some heat off that was building up but now out of FA cup, as you say if we lose tomorrow and start slow or go a goal behind at the weekend the crowd will start turning mainly on Levy.

 

[Harrier]

Yep, unfortunately. Hence my reluctance for his return. That mentality has surely rubbed off from levy and Poch to the players, not helped by sacking cup machine Mourinho a few days before final. Madness.

That reads to me like a manager taking pressure off his players!

It’s not all black and white with what a manager/coach says to the media.

 

[mil1lion]

He’s magic you knowwwwwwww

Doesn't rhyme with Antonio Conte and not enough syllables

 

[Harrier]

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

That it might, but you’ve got to say Danjuma is a better option than Moura, so why not put him on at the weekend?!

That’s down to pure stubbornness and it’s infuriating!

 

[thebenjamin]

Agree it's going to be a massive challenge replacing Kane's goals. But with Richarlison, Son (if we can get him back up to speed), Kulu, and midfielders chipping in, we should still have enough.

Arsenal, Man U, Newcastle etc... don't have 20 goal a season strikers but still manage compensate by sharing the goals around the team and keeping it tight at the back.

Richarlison and Son are never going to work in the same side in my view. They both need creative passers around them. You can't afford two players of their ilk in a forwdrd line.

 

[chas vs dave]

Richarlison and Son are never going to work in the same side in my view. They both need creative passers around them. You can't afford two players of their ilk in a forwdrd line.

If we moved to a back 4, then there is space for a more attacking midfielder.

 

[Impspur1]

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

But don’t you see, the plan is to have no plan

 

[nedley]

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

I bet the same would have gone for Skrinar.

You don't send a team of bigwigs out to Italy negotiating if the player isn't keen on the move.

 

[nedley]

Conte's future was already firmly in doubt in January though. I know its been done to death on here but you can't really buy a forward with a super unique skillset, terrible numbers and a horrible history of injuries for a decent amount of money for a manager we have all known for ages is going in the summer. It's less of an issue with Porro but we will now be stuck with 3 (albeit good) Rbs/Rwbs come June.

Could have signed him last summer though no?

Again, the windows imo had to be nailed. 9/10 windows and successive windows as well.

They fell well short.

 

[nedley]

Danny Kelly?

There's also a poll on this very forum.

 

[chas vs dave]

But don’t you see, the plan is to have no plan

No, the "plan" is to maximise as many opportunities, regardless if they actually suit what the squad needs.

 

[jolsnogross]

Big game coming up. It's the hope that kills. So despite Conte's underperformance this season, and the grim performances based on rubbish tactics and style, here's hoping he can rally a flagging side and transform our season. He's not exactly Mr motivator in pre match comments, but hopefully there is still a window of opportunity for him to drive this side to several consecutive wins. Starting with Milan.