Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[Styopa]

Why is this thread even a thing?
He is GONE.
Move on. Those horrible days are over.

I think because more than any other recent Spurs manager, he still polarises a lot of the fanbase. He still invokes strong and diverse opinions in people.

Some fans think ultimately he was a huge mistake, whereas some fans think he was “the one who got away.”

Also the contrast with Ange has drawn a lot of comparisons. Their philosophy, the way they talk, their history etc. It’s probably better to have those discussions in here than in the Ange thread.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

It amazes me that some people might think it could have worked with Conte under different circumstances. Conte is a very impressive manager but he didn’t want to be here. That was always the problem. He wrongly thought he was better than the job. If he was truly better than the job he’d have succeeded and been poached by a bigger club rather than the pathetic and damaging implosion that we had to witness.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

I think because more than any other recent Spurs manager, he still polarises a lot of the fanbase. He still invokes strong and diverse opinions in people.

Some fans think ultimately he was a huge mistake, whereas some fans think he was “the one who got away.”

Also the contrast with Ange has drawn a lot of comparisons. Their philosophy, the way they talk, their history etc. It’s probably better to have those discussions in here than in the Ange thread.

I’d like to think that very very few rational sane Spurs fans think that about Conte.

Conte was possibly right to call out the players a bit but he didn’t really ever want to be our manager or commit and that plus his health and personal issues combined with a bad run of results and the subsequent negative and toxic behaviour from Conte meant he was on a hiding to nothing.

Contrast to Ange who remains positive and realistic and solution focused and is proud to be our manager and the feeling amongst the players and fans etc is night and day.

It’s also where I feel some of these so called ‘Elite’ Managers can be a bit overrated at times. Sure Conte like Jose are top managers, you can’t have CV’s like they do and not have a clue what you’re doing but they do suit a certain type of club and set-up and if they don’t get given a certain level of squad and spending and experienced players then they aren’t that good at adapting and remaining positive and they end up crashing and burning and leaving a lot of mess for the next person to clean up.

 

[yido_number1]

I’d like to think that very very few rational sane Spurs fans think that about Conte.

Conte was possibly right to call out the players a bit but he didn’t really ever want to be our manager or commit and that plus his health and personal issues combined with a bad run of results and the subsequent negative and toxic behaviour from Conte meant he was on a hiding to nothing.

Contrast to Ange who remains positive and realistic and solution focused and is proud to be our manager and the feeling amongst the players and fans etc is night and day.

It’s also where I feel some of these so called ‘Elite’ Managers can be a bit overrated at times. Sure Conte like Jose are top managers, you can’t have CV’s like they do and not have a clue what you’re doing but they do suit a certain type of club and set-up and if they don’t get given a certain level of squad and spending and experienced players then they aren’t that good at adapting and remaining positive and they end up crashing and burning and leaving a lot of mess for the next person to clean up.

Horses for courses comes to mind. He did incredibly well first season and 11 games into the second and then it fell apart. Health, personal losses whatever it was something changed and he decided he didn't want to be here.

File him in the winning manager with the right team slot along with mourinho.

 

[TOLBINY]

I don’t see it having anything to do with what is happening now, other than convincing Levy that he made a terrible mistake in appointing Conte and prompting him to go in completely the opposite direction with his replacement appointment.

Apologies, not sure if your comment is tounge in cheek irony or serious. Just in case it is serious, if Conte had come out after the Southampton game and said "we were robbed of three points by a terrible last minute penalty decision, without which we would be going into the international break in third place, VAR has a lot to answer for, I feel sorry for my players" then we cannot assume that everything would still have turned out as it has now. Conte publically criticised the players, when instead he could have publically critcised the referee / VAR - it is one of those sliding door moments. Or are you seriously saying that no matter what Conte had said after the Southampton game, we would have appointed Ange in the summer, as oppsoed to either keeping Conte (unlikely I think) or appointing someone other than Ange (quite possible)?

 

[Styopa]

Apologies, not sure if your comment is tounge in cheek irony or serious. Just in case it is serious, if Conte had come out after the Southampton game and said "we were robbed of three points by a terrible last minute penalty decision, without which we would be going into the international break in third place, VAR has a lot to answer for, I feel sorry for my players" then we cannot assume that everything would still have turned out as it has now. Conte publically criticised the players, when instead he could have publically critcised the referee / VAR - it is one of those sliding door moments. Or are you seriously saying that no matter what Conte had said after the Southampton game, we would have appointed Ange in the summer, as oppsoed to either keeping Conte (unlikely I think) or appointing someone other than Ange (quite possible)?

I’m not sure I understand your point. Are you basically saying if things had worked out differently they would have worked out differently? If that’s what you are saying then, I agree.

For example, if Conte had signed a new contract we probably wouldn’t have appointed Ange - but I wouldn’t say Conte was therefore the catalyst for where we are now anymore than I would say AVB was the catalyst for what we achieved under Poch.

 

[muppetman]

Are you basically saying if things had worked out differently they would have worked out differently?

 

[Rout-Ledge]

Apologies, not sure if your comment is tounge in cheek irony or serious. Just in case it is serious, if Conte had come out after the Southampton game and said "we were robbed of three points by a terrible last minute penalty decision, without which we would be going into the international break in third place, VAR has a lot to answer for, I feel sorry for my players" then we cannot assume that everything would still have turned out as it has now. Conte publically criticised the players, when instead he could have publically critcised the referee / VAR - it is one of those sliding door moments. Or are you seriously saying that no matter what Conte had said after the Southampton game, we would have appointed Ange in the summer, as oppsoed to either keeping Conte (unlikely I think) or appointing someone other than Ange (quite possible)?

It would’ve meant conte staying in post a bit longer, but that’s it. Conte detonated a bomb in that conference because he he was desperate to leave and wanted the payoff. It’s as straightforward as that. If you think it changed Levy’s perspective in a wider sense on who to appoint after Conte then I would love to hear your thoughts on how that might have played out, because I’m not seeing it.

 

[BAE]

It amazes me that some people might think it could have worked with Conte under different circumstances. Conte is a very impressive manager but he didn’t want to be here. That was always the problem. He wrongly thought he was better than the job. If he was truly better than the job he’d have succeeded and been poached by a bigger club rather than the pathetic and damaging implosion that we had to witness.

I wouldn't say he didn't want to be here. If anything, the energy he bought in the first season transferred to the players and our impressive recovery to finish above ArseHoleNal and the CL positions. It just imploded incredibly quickly after that with a series of personal losses of Ventrone, Vialli and Mihajlovic. It's well known he's an incredibly emotional guy and no doubt that knocked his perspective, hunger etc.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

I wouldn't say he didn't want to be here. If anything, the energy he bought in the first season transferred to the players and our impressive recovery to finish above ArseHoleNal and the CL positions. It just imploded incredibly quickly after that with a series of personal losses of Ventrone, Vialli and Mihajlovic. It's well known he's an incredibly emotional guy and no doubt that knocked his perspective, hunger etc.

Clearly a matter of interpretation but I thought it was blindingly obviously that he thought he was bigger than this job from very early on and he wasn’t fully invested from pretty early on in 2022-23 season, probably because he wasn’t satisfied with our summer window.

 

[Oscar22]

Can this thread be moved to Gen Footy like the Nuno one? I feel like I get PTSD whenever I see it in Spurs chat.

 

[WiganSpur]

Clearly a matter of interpretation but I thought it was blindingly obviously that he thought he was bigger than this job from very early on and he wasn’t fully invested from pretty early on in 2022-23 season, probably because he wasn’t satisfied with our summer window.

He changed in mood after that summer 2022 window yeah. It's no coincidence. We half-hearted that window as we usually do with the Lenglet signing when we needed 2 top centre backs. We didn't spend the entirety of that overdraft we took out.

With Conte you have to fully back him or there is no point. If Levy wasn't prepared to splash out on big bucks he should have just sacked him.

However, I think Conte handled it dreadfully. He should have been professional and continued to get every last drop out of the players as he had been doing previously until an offer from another club came in or his contract expired. Either that, or you simply offer your resignation and let someone else get on with the job. You can say see you later without sabotaging your reputation and the team. If he'd took us to 4th spot again and left he'd have come out of it smelling of roses.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

 

[aussiespursguy]

Guess where Højbjerg will be off to next season!

 

[Trix]

It amazes me that some people might think it could have worked with Conte under different circumstances. Conte is a very impressive manager but he didn’t want to be here. That was always the problem. He wrongly thought he was better than the job. If he was truly better than the job he’d have succeeded and been poached by a bigger club rather than the pathetic and damaging implosion that we had to witness.

I think initially he was happy to be here. In his first season his touchline reactions and press conferences were completely different to his second season. I think he was promised things that never materialised I think the club pushed players on him he didn't want and refused him the players he did. Now we can all sit here and say it was right not to buy him aging experienced players for high fee's, but I don't believe that is whet he was told when Levy was convincing him to take the job, because if it were he wouldn't have taken it. My opinion is the Summer window he asked for abc and got xyz and he just felt like fuck this it's not what I signed up for. Then he started losing close friends, became ill, and being away from his family, it all just got too much for him until he exploded in that press conference.

He 100% didn't want to be here in those final months, but I don't believe he was unhappy here in that first season he came in.

 

[Danfunkel]

Always had a soft spot for Milan. He’ll tear it up back in Italy I’ve no doubt.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

I think initially he was happy to be here. In his first season his touchline reactions and press conferences were completely different to his second season. I think he was promised things that never materialised I think the club pushed players on him he didn't want and refused him the players he did. Now we can all sit here and say it was right not to buy him aging experienced players for high fee's, but I don't believe that is whet he was told when Levy was convincing him to take the job, because if it were he wouldn't have taken it. My opinion is the Summer window he asked for abc and got xyz and he just felt like fuck this it's not what I signed up for. Then he started losing close friends, became ill, and being away from his family, it all just got too much for him until he exploded in that press conference.

He 100% didn't want to be here in those final months, but I don't believe he was unhappy here in that first season he came in.

That makes a fair bit of sense. In my view though it was (or should have been) pretty obvious to literally any manager taking on the spurs job that you have to make some allowances for the fact that you won’t get your preferred transfers every time. I share Conte’s frustrations over the summer 2022 transfer window but he really didn’t help himself by refusing to integrate Bissouma, for example.

I do have sympathy for his personal losses but if that in combination with a disappointing transfer window really was too much for him he should’ve done the honourable thing and stood aside, rather than go into full on self-destruct mode over a period of months (to ensure a payout, let’s be in no doubt about that). Oh well, thank god it’s over. I doubt any half decent PL club would touch him now.

 

[Hoddlegenius]

Why are we still watching this guy? Delete the thread I say!

 

[Styopa]

Conte was always going to be a bad fit for a club like us, for obvious reasons. Look at where he has succeeded in the past, look at the kind of time scales, budgets and squads involved in those jobs, and compare that with the job we expected him to do here. He was the wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[Gingernut]

The only thing Conté is good for is this gif