Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[spurs-r-us]

I mean Levy will probably wait till the summer because he wont have to pay him off then

Sadly the accountant wont sack him until top 4 looks out of the question.

Has that ever stopped Levy before? Because last I read, Levy sacked Mourinho too early etc.

 

[THOWIG]

This was always inevitable sadly.
The decline this season is quite something. He’s not solely responsible as we all know the recruitment over the last few years (perhaps the last 20 years) hasn’t been good enough, but I look at Brighton and their style and think we should be doing a lot better than we are.

 

[spurs-r-us]

Lol any manager in the world would have subbed in a cb in those circumstances. Hardly the stick to beat Conte with.

The real issue with Conte is that with 200 million over 3 windows and a full preseason the only players to have improved this season are Bentancur and Royal (and Royal had to do that all on his own).

Son, Kulu, Sess, Davies, Dier, Kane in many ways - all have regressed. Rather than us mastering his system the opposite has occured.

And not one of his summer signings have had any impact whatsoever.

That's the real worry.

Mate, when you're 1-0 down and need a goal to stay in the tie, most managers would have switched to 4 at the back rather than sacrifice an attacker to maintain a 5ATB system that doesn't even work.

 

[EastUpperDK82]

What’s crazy is that we have 13 games left this season yet if feels like the season is over. I don’t particularly want Conte to stay but I don‘t particularly want Mason to take charge ether. I really don’t know what happens know and the worst of it, despite knowing Conte would likely be off in the summer, the board probably don’t know what to do now.

I agree... even if we should win against Forest on saturday with Conte in charge... nobody is going to say, "yes, we are back on track, let's go for that 4th spot" ... or think that Conte should get a new contract.... I like Conte very much. But the relationship is just broken. No way back for me.

For me it's just about cutting the ties. I don't care about 4th, 6th, 9th or whatever.

 

[Booney]

If he had brought on Danjuma instead, and Milan scored shortly after Conte would’ve been burnt at the stake.

No he wouldn’t. Would much rather go out 0-1 giving it a pop than seeing out a dour no score draw.

To dare is to do

 

[nico97531]

I agree with Darwin and I got flack in the match thread because of it.

Their last counter when Origi hit the post we had 2 defenders covering their counter attack which had 5 players in it. That’s WITH Sanchez as part of the 2. You simply can’t throw everything into attack and risk a simple counter ending your game anyway. If he had brought on Danjuma instead, and Milan scored shortly after Conte would’ve been burnt at the stake. Tactically speaking, it would’ve been a daft choice.

Conte fucked the entire game up last night but that substitution was necessary and if anything we should all be pissed off with Romero for being an idiot.

That change only makes sense If we are in a situation where the number of goals conceded makes a difference, or there’s more time on the clock, we are in a situation where we have to score in the last 8 minutes, what’s the difference if we concede another goal when we are losing anyway. That’s the time to throw the kitchen sink at it, the defensive charge can be made if we can get to ET.
At least have a real go at it, Trying to be safe in that situation is just plain stupid.

 

[robin09]

I’d like to know why Conte sounds like he’s goading the club into firing him. With only a few months left on his deal, there can’t be that much financial benefit to him. Unless there’s some clause that compensates him, or that if we trigger the extra year he’d have to pay back something to walk away?

In any case, we have to fire him now. If we don’t have the next manager lined up, that would be inexcusable. The writings been on the wall the entire season.

 

[1882andallthat]

Conte post match interview - "The players, they gave everything....".

I was at the game yesterday evening and that's not what I witnessed, unless what he really means is "The players gave everything despite playing almost the entire 90 minutes with the handbrake on"..

Was it a self imposed handbrake engaged fully on by the players themselves ?

Or did he instruct them to play with the handbrake on ?

If we were 1-0 up from the first leg those tactics would have just about been acceptable, but who forgot to read the script and the room, was it him or the players themselves or a collective amongst the players and entire coaching staff ?

What level of acceptable is it to try to play almost the entire game for a 0-0 draw when you are 1-0 down needing to overturn a first leg deficit and almost all of the very essence of our season is on the line ?

If you also add in the last 20-30 mins of the first leg when we were literally trying to keep the score down to 1-0 away in the first leg, one has wonder what the entire point of it all was actually for........

 

[Trotter]

Mate, when you're 1-0 down and need a goal to stay in the tie, most managers would have switched to 4 at the back rather than sacrifice an attacker to maintain a 5ATB system that doesn't even work.

He had already switched to 4 st the back (taking Lenglet off, bringing Richarlsion on) then Romero got sent off. We couldn’t play just 1 central defender for 15 plus mins, would be gifting them goals, bringing Sanchez on to go 4 at the back was only move he could do.
Have been wanting Conte gone for months, but he has to bring defender on there

 

[Ghost Hardware]

Conte post match interview - "The players, they gave everything....".

I was at the game yesterday evening and that's not what I witnessed, unless what he really means is "The players gave everything despite playing almost the entire 90 minutes with the handbrake on"..

Was it a self imposed handbrake engaged fully on by the players themselves ?

Or did he instruct them to play with the handbrake on ?

If we were 1-0 up from the first leg those tactics would have just about been acceptable, but who forgot to read the script and the room, was it him or the players themselves or a collective amongst the players and entire coaching staff ?

What level of acceptable is it to try to play almost the entire game for a 0-0 draw when you are 1-0 down needing to overturn a first leg deficit and almost all of the very essence of our season is on the line ?

If you also add in the last 20-30 mins of the first leg when we were literally trying to keep the score down to 1-0 away in the first leg, one has wonder what the entire point of it all was actually for........

He came out late from the dressing room for the interview, I think it’s a fairly good bet that whatever he said to the press was not what he said to players. Not that it really changes anything. But I would think he wasn’t best pleased with them

 

[Ron Burgundy]

If he can't motivate the players for a must win tie in the CL, what can he motivate them for?

If he can't set up a side to get more than a shot on target over 90 mins against a weak Milan side, what on earth is going on?

He's the wrong guy for the club. We should wipe the slate clean. I don't care if that means Mason for the rest of the year, it's not happening, time for a fresh start.

Appoint someone, when they're available, who gives a fuck, who has a point to prove, who's hungry, and wants to play with verve and spirit.

Time to go

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

That change only makes sense If we are in a situation where the number of goals conceded makes a difference, or there’s more time on the clock, we are in a situation where we have to score in the last 8 minutes, what’s the difference if we concede another goal when we are losing anyway. That’s the time to throw the kitchen sink at it, the defensive charge can be made if we can get to ET.
At least have a real go at it, Trying to be safe in that situation is just plain stupid.

No it’s not.

You’re down to 10 men, if by some Miracle you score in that last 8 mins because you threw the kitchen sink at it, you’re in for another 30+ mins of football and that’s another 30+ mins for them to score on the counter.

I can understand everyone’s frustrations but you don’t just gung-ho the approach to the game simply because you have nothing to lose. You still have to keep tactical balance in mind or you’re placing a huge risk on the game anyway.

 

[tommo84]

He had already switched to 4 st the back (taking Lenglet off, bringing Richarlsion on) then Romero got sent off. We couldn’t play just 1 central defender for 15 plus mins, would be gifting them goals, bringing Sanchez on to go 4 at the back was only move he could do.
Have been wanting Conte gone for months, but he has to bring defender on there

He didn’t take off Lenglet. Emerson came off.

 

[tommo84]

No it’s not.

You’re down to 10 men, if by some Miracle you score in that last 8 mins because you threw the kitchen sink at it, you’re in for another 30+ mins of football and that’s another 30+ mins for them to score on the counter.

I can understand everyone’s frustrations but you don’t just gung-ho the approach to the game simply because you have nothing to lose. You still have to keep tactical balance in mind or you’re placing a huge risk on the game anyway.

No - you make that change if you get the goal that’s needed to take you to extra time. You have no reason to make that change until then.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

Think I’m going to get slaughtered here.

I felt like one of the last men standing with Poch. I do so again with Conte. Is the football awful … yes. But I still recall the football in the last third of last season. It was great. That’s more Conte football. He will have a winning vision but needs players that can operate within it.

It’s not like Levy hasn’t thrown previous managers under the bus and somehow turned fans on the manager screaming he has to go. Just look back. If you appoint Conte you have to back his vision. He is a winner as a player and coach. We will see that proved again in his next venture. Instead we will be left with a core of players that failed our previous coaches including Poch.

I love Poch, but within 2 years under Levy we’ll have the same chat except I don’t want to see Poch’s legacy ruined forever because Levy has his own “non football” vision.

Be nice lads. Just because I like to try and stick by “most” coaches we appoint. Even more so with Conte

Are you serious? He’s already mentally checked out, mate. He’s gone in the summer if we don’t sack him first.

 

[EssexSH27]

No it’s not.

You’re down to 10 men, if by some Miracle you score in that last 8 mins because you threw the kitchen sink at it, you’re in for another 30+ mins of football and that’s another 30+ mins for them to score on the counter.

I can understand everyone’s frustrations but you don’t just gung-ho the approach to the game simply because you have nothing to lose. You still have to keep tactical balance in mind or you’re placing a huge risk on the game anyway.

You get an extra sub in ET

 

[Japhet]

Calm down everyone. Give Conte time until summer - he deserves to be backed if we manage to get a top 4 finish! At least we can now fully focus on the league

Why? He'll carry on doing exactly the same stuff that has been shocking all season.

 

[p.l.edmonds]

He had already switched to 4 st the back (taking Lenglet off, bringing Richarlsion on) then Romero got sent off. We couldn’t play just 1 central defender for 15 plus mins, would be gifting them goals, bringing Sanchez on to go 4 at the back was only move he could do.
Have been wanting Conte gone for months, but he has to bring defender on there

If he doesn't bring Sanchez on, Porro and Davies end up staying deep to even the numbers. I bet Sanchez on was mostly about allowing the FBs to stay high.

I'm all for sacking him, but the Sanchez sub was a little less simplistic than it's being made out to be

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

No - you make that change if you get the goal that’s needed to take you to extra time. You have no reason to make that change until then.

You’d still be a man down though, regardless of being able to make the sub at a later stage.

You guys are talking as if it were a foregone conclusion that had Danjuma come on we would’ve scored, but that’s the least likely outcome given the momentum in the game at the time.

Milan were very solid and compact at the back and they took 3-4 passes to reach our box. It’s 100% more likely that they would’ve scored had we been a man light at the back than us scoring because we had another attacker on the pitch at the same time.

We already had Son, Kane, Kulusevski, Richy attacking the box. There should be no need for a 5th. Not at the risk of throwing the game away on a single counter attack.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

If he doesn't bring Sanchez on, Porro and Davies end up staying deep to even the numbers. I bet Sanchez on was mostly about allowing the FBs to stay high.

I'm all for sacking him, but the Sanchez sub was a little less simplistic than it's being made out to be

Exactly the point I’m trying to make. Davies and Porro were basically the WF at that point in the game, Skipp and PEH at the edge of the box and 4 attackers in it.

He had to bring Sanchez on to help Lenglet cover for the counter, if we had brought on Danjuma instead we would’ve had only Lenglet back to cover. It’s ludicrous to think that any manager would’ve left one CB on the pitch.