Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

neogenisis · Mar 21, 2023

Trix said:
I agree with the football being poor and not adapting, but I don't blame him for not committing and he wasn't given a good chunk of cash he was given players he never wanted. There is a big difference.

Bored of this now, If Conte didn't feel like he was backed then yeah its on Levy there is no doubting that, but its on Conte too as there is no way he didn't know what Levy was like. Everyone is to blame from Levy down to the players, but Im not having Conte looking all surprised when he got choice F instead of A. And frankly if promises were made and broken, walk away.

alfie103 · Mar 21, 2023

RuskyM said:
That’s fair, but would he sack Conte with us still in fourth if that’s the case?

Well I think Conte is going to be sacked for player unrest following his comments on the weekend. You could argue that Levy deciding to sack Conte when he saw finishing 4th was in danger and not when we got knocked out of the FA Cup and Champions League shows his priorities.

RuskyM · Mar 21, 2023

Trix said:
Yeah I still think that's been lost a bit in translation.

I sympathise because I barely speak one language, but I guess it’s the obvious drawback when you’re going to the press whilst emotional to make your point.

spursfan77 · Mar 21, 2023

RuskyM said:
Conte said exactly the same bollocks at Chelsea - that they didn’t have ambition, that the club was rotten.

Sherwood said the team was lazy and within a year those players were helping us go for a title. Villa were heading down under Gerrard and now Emery has them looking at Europe. I don’t want him here but Tuchel organised a Chelsea defence into a European champion within months. It’s amazing how things can change.

I’m not saying Conte is a bad manager, but he has done a bad job this season; that’s why he’s losing his job. The Milan game summed it up: talk of needing atmosphere, of fans to support the team, and the fans did. And the team sat back. And did nothing. And then we bought on Sanchez to sure up the defence when we needed a goal. All that talk of patience from someone with one foot out the door all season.

I haven’t seen a manager get more support in terms of finances and fan appreciation from day one. And the result was the most underwhelming season I think I’ve seen. He has no one to blame but himself.

Great post!

I have been so disappointed in him this season. He’s pretty much got everything wrong that was possible to get wrong.

I think it will take a lot to get fans back on side too. The trust has completely gone.

gavspur · Mar 21, 2023

I’m quite surprised at the lack of stories in the press pointing the finger at Levy. We all pretty much thought Conte was his last roll of the dice, and if he didn’t properly back/listen to him then he himself was under huge pressure to step away. I’ve seen maybe one or two angles this way, but honestly thought the stories would be fully flowing with the increasing pressure on Levy. Mr Teflon strikes again.

littlewilly · Mar 21, 2023

Whitey said:
Dier is the easy continuity scrap goat.... Honestly, I like Deir as person and a player. The sad truth is he is a back up player at best. He did a great job in helping elevate the clubs expectations along with others when Poch started his process... I think point is we have far too many of these type of squad players as first 11 starter's. Some need to go, if only to change the stench of failure.... That is all on Levy.... But maybe Dier and co are fantastic conversationalist around the breakfast table.

Easy continuity scrap goat - what a magnificent phrase. I'm going to use that in my conversation with the vicar tomorrow.

Metalhead · Mar 21, 2023

RuskyM said:
Key, this. Our current mess is arguably due to trying to appease fans, who Levy knows want a trophy at any cost. That’s why we’re paying Conte over £280k a week to do it and why we paid Mourinho the same. When you look at it like that, it’s hardly Levy’s fault that we lost in the FA Cup to a Championship team. Twice.

You can't take any individual situation on the pitch and blame it on Levy. You know that, I know that, we all know that and no-one in their right mind would do that.

What he is responsible for is who he appoints. Never mind about trying to appease people by recruiting a particular name. People used Conte's salary against him so equally, Levy is paid handsomely (and after over 20 years should be able) to have an understanding of what is best for the club. There is no linear process between appointing a big name and it translating into trophies. Was Conte the 'DNA' that he spoke of? Was it 'pride in the club' that Nuno referred to? Was it attractive passing football? Does Levy know what he meant or was it just a soundbyte?

Dazzazzad · Mar 21, 2023

alfie103 said:
I disagree. For me, I think Levy views the season's objectives as (in order of importance):

1. top 4 finish
2. Getting into the knockout stages of the champions league and then see how we go
3. FA Cup/League Cup

I think Levy would have said this to the managers and they have followed this accordingly. If he was serious about winning trophies, he would make the FA Cup/League Cup a priority.

This is probably the same for most teams. Even teams lower in the table and in other divisions view the cups as a second thought.

Hoopspur · Mar 21, 2023

Meanwhile, Conte is sitting on a yacht off Capri waiting for Wednesday early evening when he has a meeting with his players Harry and Fraser and discussing tactics with Mason and Jude about how he will integrate them into the system next season.

SSN understands there has been a turnaround….

PaulThurston · Mar 21, 2023

Trix said:
There is a big split in the playing staff right now, that's the main problem, and why he'll probably go.

You're probably right in that he will go but if we get rid of the manager every time the players are unhappy then they'll just do the same to the next one and we'll never break the cycle.

The players' job is to do what the manager tells them whether they agree with him or not. Their chance to manage will come when their playing days are over. The truly great teams are never run as a democracy.

Jamturk · Mar 21, 2023

MiakSarawak said:
Good riddance.

Had enough of his rigid 343 formation and stubbornness to stick to it.

It wasn't great however my biggest gripe with Conte is the poisonous atmosphere he has created around the club.

From doing us a favour, the constant threat of leaving if he doesn't get his way, his childish treatment of "Club signings"

At time it has felt like being in a toxic relationship, I'm disgusted with him TBH.

Good riddance.

cockerel downunder · Mar 21, 2023

Jamturk said:
It wasn't great however my biggest gripe with Conte is the poisonous atmosphere he has created around the club.

From doing us a favour, the constant threat of leaving if he doesn't get his way, his childish treatment of "Club signings"

At time it has felt like being in a toxic relationship, I'm disgusted with him TBH.

Good riddance.

Yes agree, same with mourinho. We desperately need some positivity back dt the club!!

Wadec · Mar 21, 2023

Trix said:
I agree with the football being poor and not adapting, but I don't blame him for not committing and he wasn't given a good chunk of cash he was given players he never wanted. There is a big difference.

This is it for me, its easy to look at the money spent or committed to spend and say Conte has been backed. When you delve deeper you start to see he hasn't been backed fully.

Kulusevski & Bentancur- no issue here, two very good players signed. They were signed late in the window but they were both still very good players.

Peresic, Richarlison & Bissouma - can't complain here either, these are all either AC choices or players who have performed at a very high level before signing.

Lenglet & Spence - we didn't push the boat out for the LCB and got in a loan option for the season. Disappointing when it was a key part of the system we employ. I don't think there was much of a problem when this happened but when the club then decide to sign Spence who Conte didn't want you could start to see we were not getting the top players we needed.

Porro & Danjuma - on paper Porro is an exceptional signing but the frustration for me is signing such a key component of Contes system right at the end of the last window. When you give an overview of the signings it looks great re the player and the money committed to purchase him, but it isn't as simple as that IMO. Danjuma was clearly a cheap club pick up, if we wanted him he wouldn't have been minutes away from joining Everton.

Forster and Udogie - fine with these a good GK to cover Hugo and a promising LWB for future.

Now it is fair to claim Conte hasn't performed as well as he should have and he could have used some players more particuarly Richarlison. But we haven't given him all the tools he needs either, when we have they have been late in the window in the Jan windows.

I have no issue at all people wanting Conte out because they hate the football, that is completely fair. But we have not fully committed to the plan and backed him fully, yes he has had money spent and been more backed than previous managers but that says a lot more about how poor we have been at doing this historically rather than Conte being given all the tools he was promised.

RuskyM · Mar 21, 2023

Metalhead said:
You can't take any individual situation on the pitch and blame it on Levy. You know that, I know that, we all know that and no-one in their right mind would do that.

What he is responsible for is who he appoints. Never mind about trying to appease people by recruiting a particular name. People used Conte's salary against him so equally, Levy is paid handsomely (and after over 20 years should be able) to have an understanding of what is best for the club. There is no linear process between appointing a big name and it translating into trophies. Was Conte the 'DNA' that he spoke of? Was it 'pride in the club' that Nuno referred to? Was it attractive passing football? Does Levy know what he meant or was it just a soundbyte?

Cant disagree with this - it’s all very haphazard.

alfie103 · Mar 21, 2023

Dazzazzad said:
This is probably the same for most teams. Even teams lower in the table and in other divisions view the cups as a second thought.

Most other clubs don't have the resources we have. I don't expect us to consistently challenge for the PL and CL but there is no reason why we can't win the FA cup and League Cup or the Europa League or the Europa Conference League when we are in them.

Roberts84 · Mar 21, 2023

Joshua shepherd said:
Probably because our best starting 11 didn’t include them.

In your opinion

Japhet · Mar 21, 2023

PaulThurston said:
You're probably right in that he will go but if we get rid of the manager every time the players are unhappy then they'll just do the same to the next one and we'll never break the cycle.

The players' job is to do what the manager tells them whether they agree with him or not. Their chance to manage will come when their playing days are over. The truly great teams are never run as a democracy.

They're probably unhappy because they're required to play dull, negative football in a system that struggles to compete with just about anyone. Conte has to have everything on a very tight leash and I'm sure that's as frustrating for players as it is for fans. I'm sure they'd be happier playing some offensive football and being able to make a few decisions for themselves. Even Mourinho allowed them a bit of autonomy going forwards.

FinnYid · Mar 21, 2023

Neon_Knight_ said:
Sherwood Mk.2

I have far more respect for Mason as a person, but he has equivalent experience and tactical awareness / game management.

Yet both elevated results as a temp vastly, doesn't tell wether they are good for long term. But tells even a inexperienced temp may get good results when it is escape route from total shite football and toxic enviroment. And it is now as it was in both of those previous cases.

Keep Conte till rest of the season and we won't finish in top 4. Get temp in and it might happen.

funkycoldmedina · Mar 21, 2023

Trix said:
Yeah I still think that's been lost a bit in translation.

Do you think there's been a power struggle going on between him and Levy because he knew what Levy was like but wanted to make sure he got the players he wanted and not some compromise.
I ask because I get the Spence scenario but I've been baffled by his use of Bissouma and Richarlson

JUSTINSIGNAL · Mar 21, 2023

RuskyM said:
Key, this. Our current mess is arguably due to trying to appease fans, who Levy knows want a trophy at any cost. That’s why we’re paying Conte over £280k a week to do it and why we paid Mourinho the same. When you look at it like that, it’s hardly Levy’s fault that we lost in the FA Cup to a Championship team. Twice.

So true, during the Poch era we heard constantly that all we needed was a 'winning mentality' to push us onto the next level. It was consistently leveled at Poch that the reason he couldn't get a talented team across the line was because he had never won any trophies as a manager.

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