Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[Trix]

Hiring Stellini was daft, but I'm not really sure how Conte could continue his job after his rant. After weeks of him being absent and the team fighting for him, his reply of "I absolutely hate all of these cowards and the board (oh no not the board actually)" wasn't going to be workable. He must've known this. No one forced him to do that interview.

I don't disagree, but it's hardly like any of them have proved him wrong either. It's always easy to look at things in hindsight but I was very much of the opinion at the time you only get rid if the alternative, for whatever reason, is a better option. It was very clear at the time this was not the case.

 

[muppetman]

For all of his talk about cowardice, it was him in the end that took the easy way out. No club in the world would put up with a manager saying stuff like that, in a press conference and he knew that.

 

[DiVaio]

You can bet he will lead his next team to some glory, like what Mourinho is doing with Roma. They knew first hand the problem is bigger than just changing managers. But our owner, and depressingly some of our fans as well, stubbornly chose not to believe that.

Mourinho will most likely finish 7th this season, after finishing 6th last with decent amount of backing and 3rd highest wage bill in Serie A while playing really boring football. With current Sevilla form they aren't favourites to win Europa League either. There's really nothing to show that we were wrong with sacking him.

 

[Japhet]

You can think all of that and still believe it would have been better to keep him until the season ends, when he would have left anyway. It was right to get shot of him if there was a realistic alternative to steady the ship until the Summer. Just getting CS to take over was the mistake not getting rid of Conte. It was an idiotic decision and we should have just limped on in pain, rather than cutting the leg off and hoping the wound just healed on it's own.

Seemed to me that Conte was determined to get himself fired, not least to protect his own brand. He absolved himself of responsibility and piled in on the players. He could have changed multiple things or at least tried something different for weeks/months previously, but he refused point blank. He had to go, and to be honest I don't know who else other than Stellini or Mason was available to see the season out. I think if Conte had been made to stay on he'd either have pulled the 'sick' card or would have made things a whole lot more unpleasant to get what he wanted.

 

[soflapaul]

Still not sure sticking with Conte was a better option as an outsider with minimal knowledge of what was happening in the dressing room. . when things are great with Antonio, then he is amazing. but as someone who wears his heart on a sleeve with the team losing spirit, it was bound to get worse, possibly way worse

My suspicion was that he had gotten to a place where he couldn't or wouldn't pull himself and hence the team by his own bootstraps. If Stellini et al saw that ACs personal life was partly to blame, then that would explain why they were willing to stick around. Continuity with a better attitude. But that is 100% conjecture and would defer to others with better inside scoop.

 

[Styopa]

I think Conte's position had become untenable. And more importantly, I think he didn't want to continue. He basically quit. In any case, I don't think we lost much by letting him go when we did.

We were already out of the cups. And In the 13 matches following the World Cup, we were averaging 1.3 points per match. So we were on course to end up with about 62 points. In other words, we were on a similar trajectory to where we are now, competing with Villa for a Europa Conference League spot.

 

[Locotoro]

When we have seen the same issues arise for end of Poch, end of Mourinho, Nuno's short reign, end of Conte and Mason's short tenure. The players appear to be mentally brittle. I don't understand how this can put on each and every manager every time. The manager plays his role but the moment the players are on the pitch they have a responsibility to do what is required.

I read an article which stated its a fallacy that a good coach will mould players to a new system that they are not suited to. A successful coach will pick the pieces that fit the way they make the system work and eventually replace those players that don't fit. The players that will fit a new system are those that have been exposed to that type of role previously.

In my view, both Conte and Mourinho's systems require mentally strong players that are capable of soaking up pressure and feeling comfortable being under pressure before executing forward passes. We have too many players that are brittle and not suited to soak up pressure without panicking so close to their own goal.

 

[Trix]

Seemed to me that Conte was determined to get himself fired, not least to protect his own brand. He absolved himself of responsibility and piled in on the players. He could have changed multiple things or at least tried something different for weeks/months previously, but he refused point blank. He had to go, and to be honest I don't know who else other than Stellini or Mason was available to see the season out. I think if Conte had been made to stay on he'd either have pulled the 'sick' card or would have made things a whole lot more unpleasant to get what he wanted.

Both Jol and Redknapp have publicly said they'd have helped out. Neither were an option long term, but there were managers out there that would have taken the job on an interim basis. Even the likes of Big Sam or Warnock who are always available for this type of job. You can say there were no alternatives but that's only if you are being super picky. I know people will read this post and say "Big fucking Sam?", but for two months literally any experienced manager would have been a better option than Stellinni and then a kid with zero experience. As I kept saying at the time I was all for sacking Conte but only if there was a viable plan in place to do so. We had no plan whatsoever.

 

[Wick3d]

Both Jol and Redknapp have publicly said they'd have helped out. Neither were an option long term, but there were managers out there that would have taken the job on an interim basis. Even the likes of Big Sam or Warnock who are always available for this type of job. You can say there were no alternatives but that's only if you are being super picky. I know people will read this post and say "Big fucking Sam?", but for two months literally any experienced manager would have been a better option than Stellinni and then a kid with zero experience. As I kept saying at the time I was all for sacking Conte but only if there was a viable plan in place to do so. We had no plan whatsoever.

When it comes to football, do we ever have a plan?

 

[yido_number1]

Truth hurts

Hopefully the Muppets respond better to a friendly manager like Slot. Personally agreed with everything he said int hat presser. Would have loved to see him come back and punish the players

 

[Styopa]

Would have loved to see him come back and punish the players

I see this a lot, but I really don't get it. It's masochistic.

Come back and "punish" the players? What good is that if it doesn't improve the team?

 

[Rout-Ledge]

For all of his talk about cowardice, it was him in the end that took the easy way out. No club in the world would put up with a manager saying stuff like that, in a press conference and he knew that.

Yeah. I really have no time for him at all after what happened. My least favourite of our ex managers since probably George Graham (I don’t count Sherwood).

 

[Real_madyidd]

I see this a lot, but I really don't get it. It's masochistic.

Come back and "punish" the players? What good is that if it doesn't improve the team?

They are over pampered and protected from reality. Instead of the carrot they should sometimes receive the stick..

 

[Rout-Ledge]

They are over pampered and protected from reality. Instead of the carrot they should sometimes receive the stick..

But in practice that almost certainly wouldn’t achieve anything. It’s an outdated managerial method.

 

[alfie103]

But in practice that almost certainly wouldn’t achieve anything. It’s an outdated managerial method.

Just screaming and shouting at players a lot of the time and harsh punishments for no reason aren't good but there needs to be some consequences.

 

[Styopa]

Just screaming and shouting at players a lot of the time and harsh punishments for no reason aren't good but there needs to be some consequences.

Players need to know they will be dropped for a start.

In my opinion, one of Conte's failings was that he relied on a small core of players who he seemed to regard as virtually undroppable. What kind of message does that send to the starting players and those on the bench?

 

[muppetman]

Players need to know they will be dropped for a start.

In my opinion, one of Conte's failings was that he relied on a small core of players who he seemed to regard as virtually undroppable. What kind of message does that send to the starting players and those on the bench?

I'd say overall, his total lack of flexibility was a real issue.

Hopefully the new guy can be so.

 

[jakuba]

Just screaming and shouting at players a lot of the time and harsh punishments for no reason aren't good but there needs to be some consequences.

Agree, it is not enough for the manager to be shouting themselves hoarse at them only for them to keep playing, not be sold/released and the manager sacked then the cycle start again.

Other clubs would have wielded the axe a long time ago with a lot of our crop. I don’t think they’re the same as the Kaboul Cabal as in 2014 but it’s ultimately the same effect. A soft dressing room that rolls over on the pitch when the going gets tough - Poch got rid of it between 2014 2017, but after that it started coming back and we did nothing to stop the rot (no transfers for 18 months anyone?) hence us undoing all the good work in that time and being as bad off as we were post AVB/Sherwood.

Whoever comes in, regardless of whether they’re an arm round the shoulder coach or Conte disciplinarian - need to cut the shite from the squad else we will see the same issues we’ve seen for the past 5 years.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

Just screaming and shouting at players a lot of the time and harsh punishments for no reason aren't good but there needs to be some consequences.

I agree - standards should be set high, and if anyone doesn’t buy in they should be jettisoned ASAP. But focusing on punishment rather than positive motivation won’t achieve amazing results in any walk of professional life.

 

[Gilzeanking]

i guess what he meant by 'Selfish' players in his rant...is that they were selfish in not running for the team...not getting back, not pressing, and not supporting attacks.
For me this has been our issue since peak Poch. Its plain effort on behalf of the team. Conte saw that his power to get the players moving was not enough..he'd set out a plan ...and they wouldn't work hard enough to implement it. He knew he was finished and things were going south imo.

His rigidity was a major flaw, but players simply not working for the team was the killer. Mason couldn't counter it and nor will a new manager after his bounce period...unless we get fresh players in and older unenthusiastic players out.