Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[brendanb50]

The competition is far better now. Perisic for Reguilon, Lenglet for Rodon, Bissouma for Winks, Richarlison for Bergwijn. Even Forster for Gollini as a more reliable 2nd keeper. Spence adds extra competition at right wing back as we havent sold any. Add from the start of the season Kulusevski for Lo Celso and Bentancur for Ndombele. We're in far better shape going into the season. That's without mentioning being under Conte from the start. Conte is happy but some fans still aren't

Well put. People lose that perspective when looking at where we started last season and where we are now AND we're still looking to do business.

A lot has changed for the better in terms of the squad and the options available, bearing in mind Conte has had January and this summer to put his stamp on the team and how we play, it's actually, objectively been excellent progress.

 

[Nerine]

I think we need to define "gamechanger off the bench" seeing as we play to a system, not to individuals.

We've had players provide those fleeting moments of individual brilliance in recent memory. Moura vs Ajax for example, Bergwijn (now left, obviously) against Leicester.

I think it's a conflated argument. A "gamechanger off the bench" guarantees nothing in my view. Seems to me that people are clamouring for someone who can impact a game. We've had people in the squad that have done that just this season. The players are clearly capable of creating these moments of magic, so why don't they do it more often? Is it because it's almost a random occurence that can happen to any player?

Why not start with Richarlison and bring Kane off the bench to change the game? When it's turned on its head, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me, because what we do is system driven. We need versatile players that allow Conte a Plan B system. Not an individual specialist that we hope will just create something out of nothing. The system (and Conte) doesn't really allow thing to be left to chance.

I'm being deliberately obtuse with this post.

 

[Wig]

There's no doubt our squad is stronger, but I do feel we haven't improved the first 11 sufficiently this summer.

Bissouma is a CM rotation option, but we don't know yet if he will improve the first 11, particuarly if Conte ends up keeping PEH in the side and dropping Bentancur, I don't see how a PEH Bissouma midfield is stronger than a PEH Bentancur one....

The only unquestionable first 11 signing which improves us has been Perisic.

Yes our bench is a lot stronger now which is great but I do share the concern that on paper our first 11 going into the new season will still have potentially any one of Davies, Sanchez, Doherty, Emerson and PEH starting.

We haven't improved at RWB, there has been no top CB brought in.

Lenglet may prove an upgrade at LCB but he's only on loan for a year with no buy option.

I look at the side that started yestersday and I don't see that it's been strengthened sufficiently. I know it was probably a fitness /availability decision but it's so disappointing to see Sanchez still starting a game at CB, Doherty and Emerson at RWB, PEH in the middle.

This isn't being overly negative, it's just providing a bit of balance to what has been the majority of fans saying (me included) what a truiphant window it's been. Yes our squad is stronger, but our first 11 IMO hasn't improved all that much at all.

Not meaning to respond to @Aphex in his above comment, but more to continue this conversation...

I think one massive point a few posters are perhaps underplaying, is that our "first 11" can be improved just by the new signings coming into the squad, even if the first 11 is the same team as the previous season. Just look at the consequence under Poch of having a couple transfer windows of not signing anyone - in the absence of fresh faces and competition the team/squad lost their form and hunger and failed to repeat the performance levels of previous seasons.

Regardless of whether any of us think the new signings sufficiently improve the first 11, what is without question is that bringing in high quality competition for places will force the first 11 to raise their levels or risk losing their starting positions.

Conte has brought in Perisic and Lenglet who have won silverware and played at the highest level, Bissouma and Richarlison who are not just prem-proven but the best players from their previous teams, Spence who is one of the highest rated youth from the championship, and Forster who is a big upgrade on our last back-up GK. All these players will be competing at a higher level in training compared to what we had before, and that in itself should be sufficiently improving the quality of our first 11.

 

[SSC]

Gosh remember when Liverpool didnt sign a CB as they wanted VVD and decided to wait. All the ITK we're getting is there is a plan and preferred targets and if we cant get what we want we wait and fill in with a loan ala Lenglet. How people are getting all pissy just because we lost an away friendly (narrowly) to a Jose shithouse Roma...? Concerns me that people think we're actually going to seriously challenge for the league this year and when we're instead fighting for 3rd they will laughly end up complaining and moaning about Levy again...

 

[spursfan77]

His new comments about being really happy and wanting to build a future here are amazing. I bet he’s never said that before at a club. I hope DL didn’t hear them though, don’t want him resting on his laurels ????

 

[WiganSpur]

IMO Conte has openly admitted he expects to be challenging for the title (or at least competitive at the top end). And by all accounts he is happy with our transfers as we signed most of our first choice targets. So with this in mind, the fact Conte is one of the top 3 managers in the world, we have one of the best front threes in Europe, I really can’t see us finishing below third. In fact I’m could see us sneaking second…

Where has he said he expects a title challenge this season? Sorry if I've missed it but earlier it sounded like he was being pragmatic and pitching towards more of a challenge in the following season.

 

[14/04/91]

The squad does have a sense of more depth - but let's say we are 1-0 down to a team who are intent on defending their lead, where are the game changers in the new squad who we can bring off the bench? Indulge me and assume Lenglet, Perisic and Bissouma are starting instead of Davies, Sess and PEH.
All I can see in terms of game changers are Lucas (who we had anyway) and Richarlison who is a replacement for Bergwijn. Richie cost us around twice as much as we got for Bergwijn, is he twice the player? I know he can play all 3 positions across the front, but Bergwijn could have done that given the chance and Kane doesn't come off unless we are comfortably winning or he's injured, so Richie replaces Son or Deki in truth. You're still 1-0 down, do you take Son off - I doubt it, so actually Richie replaces Deki.
I think we need another game changer at least. That might be a creative attacking midfielder or out and out attacker.

"We were excellent the last few months of last season when we were out of the cups and signed Kulusevski and Bentancur."

Did you watch us at home to Brighton, away to Brentford and even home To Burnley - one penalty goal in all those three games - zero shots on target v Brighton and v Brentford.

Our staring 11 may be better this season, but we need more game changers on the bench.

Hence why we're looking at Zainolo (and other options).

Also one of the reasons we lacked a cutting edge in those games was a lack of rotation; we had very limited bench options which meant we were a) predictable in line-up & personnel and b) running those players into the ground.
Conte can now turn to the bench if things aren't working and change it up.

One more would be very nice to have (and likely to happen) but don't miss the bigger picture; we're a top quality squad now rather than a top quality team.

 

[JKendall13]

It's interesting comparing us to Liverpool and City, because really at the top end of our team we're in line with them unlike the other chasers like Arsenal, United, Chelsea. Simply, Kane and Son are two of the best 4 players in the league and Conte is at a similar level to Klopp and Pep, and all that is a massive advantage for us in teambuilding. Lloris is WC winning captain and I think most of believe a full season of Romero that he's a potential team of the season level CB. So that's five crucial pieces that are the top PL level, and thus top of the world.

We're roughly even with Liverpool and City if we're just talking about top 5 players. What we need to fill in behind the likes of Kane, Son, Romero, Lloris, is the comparable "second-level" players that City and Liverpool have like Fabinho, Rodri, Henderson, Robertson, Walker, Cancelo, Matip, Jota, Mahrez, Milner, Silva, etc.

That group of players is very good and some of them were very expensive, but others were players that developed beyond the expectations under elite managers and alongside world-class players that we also have. In the last two windows (Jan/Summer), we've added Bentancur, Kulusevski, Bissouma, Perisic, Richarlison as first 11 level players and then Spence, Lenglet, and Forster as true depth. Though it's not outrageous to think that Spence and Lenglet become starters at some point.

I look at that group of five players we brought in and while they'll need to bed in and develop, they are all 25 or under (except Perisic) and in a season or two could very well be at the level of likes of Fabinho, Robertson, Matip, Laporte, Mahrez, Jota, etc. This is the level of player we need to support our already world class players in place, no other team including Liverpool and City has two forwards that could both feasibly score 20 goals this season. We're massively blessed to have Kane and Son, where we've erred in recent years is not having the supporting players around them, or since Pochettino left, the tactical structure to be a winning side.

If you step back and look at what we've assembled in the barely more than a year since Paratici has been here, and less in Conte's case, it's remarkable. We've likely added 5 to 6 new first 11 players (Romero, Perisic, Kulusevski, Bentancur, Bissouma, and then maybe Spence/Emerson) while totally reinvigorating our depth with a proper backup striker in Richarlison, 4 proper CMs, depth at WB, plus the improvement our players we already had like Davies and Dier.

The work isn't finished, but they amount we've managed to close on City and Liverpool since Conte got here in November 2021 is insane. Just compare our squad against Southampton to what it was against City on Day 1 last year. It's absolutely night and day and it's still early doors with Conte/Paratici. Klopp took over a similarly bad situation at Liverpool (probably a little worse because we have Kane and Son) and it took him 4-5 windows to get them back to the top of the league.

Lloris
Tangaga Sanchez Dier Reggy
Skipp Hojbjerg Dele
Moura Son Bergwijn

Subs: Doherty, Romero, Winks, Gil, Sissoko, GLC, Gollini, Davies, Scarlett
Manager: Nuno

 

[dbspurs]

Whatever we did this Summer it was never going to be enough for some on here mate. Some are just never satisfied, just wanting everything instantly and not prepared to build anything. They ignore that Liverpool and City took years to get to the position they are, and because we aren't going after the players they deem to be "what we need", it's just constant negativity and criticism despite a ball not even being kicked.

I've put easily double figure number of members on ignore this Summer because I just can't be arsed to read their constant(in every thread) negative horseshit.

Some people just dont see the bigger picture. We are way ahead of where I thought we'd be.

After Jose was sacked I said on here that it would be 2 to 3 seasons before we would be able to challenge again and even that was dependent on a lot of variables.

What Levy, Paratici and Conte have managed in just one season is remarkable. We have upgraded almost all key positions and have a squad depth that has been missing for far too long.

If someone had said we'd be in this position back in March 2021 I would have suggested psychiatric help

 

[TOLBINY]

Gosh remember when Liverpool didnt sign a CB as they wanted VVD and decided to wait. All the ITK we're getting is there is a plan and preferred targets and if we can get what we want we wait and fill in with a loan ala Lenglet. How people are getting all pissy just because we lost an away friendly (narrowly) to a Jose shithouse Roma...? Concerns me that people think we're actually going to seriously challenge for the league this year and when we're instead fighting for 3rd they will laughly end up complaining and moaning about Levy again...

As Conte said last week, we finished 4th in part by taking advantage of "United's situation", we were also helped by Woolwich bottling it at Newcastle and remember we had no European games to contend with from early December. So we need a better squad just to stand still (4th) IMHO, anything else (unless we win a cup) is not an improvement. I am not going to be complaining if we don't win the league, but I do want to see improvement and I am unconvinced we currently have enough quality in the squad to get us 3rd.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Where has he said he expects a title challenge this season? Sorry if I've missed it but earlier it sounded like he was being pragmatic and pitching towards more of a challenge in the following season.

Last season he was consistently implying challenging for top 4 is beneath him. And that he wants to be challenging for titles.

I’m sure in his discussions with the club his aim is to sign players to allow him to do this. Or at least give him a fighting chance.

 

[mpickard2087]

“We need a creative passer” is just reductive spiel. Let’s be honest, it’s mainly said because people want one of the “boring” central midfielders (they usually mean Hojbjerg) out of the team. But like fuck just one player coming in and spraying some Hollywood passes about is going to do much at all. As others have noted already, it’s not that simple.

I haven’t seen any of the pre-season matches, but the test will be as it was last season – can we improve against teams who employ a low block, disciplined defence? Those games we most struggled in performance-wise were the ones where we couldn’t at any point coax them higher up the pitch to engage us, and put in place our pattern plays and ‘up, back, through’ moves to open and attack space.

Just getting a “better passer” means nothing if we don’t improve many other aspects also. Mainly nothing to do with passes from midfield but threat in and around the final third that manipulates, worries and taxes a packed defence, moves them and spreads them out.

Let’s be honest, for all the good… brilliant… things they do our front three aren’t that effective as players between packed lines. It’s not Son’s game, Kane is a heavy/flat footed guy who isn’t a great mover/space finder and operates at his own pace, Kulu is similar in many ways in that he offers a bit of everything but is also a bit heavy on his feet and not uber technical. I don’t see how any of the options here offer too much in this aspect faced with heavy congestion, so we’ll see how it goes and if we find solutions.

Then there is what happens on the flanks. We had basically zero threat - final ball is the icing on the cake, but I’m talking at a basic level in terms of movement - in these games, because none of them stretch the play, can directly take the ball on the move, run past and away from a man etc. Countless games last season opposition teams didn’t fan out, they’d let it go there and eventually shuffle across, because they knew there was nothing to be scared of. If we actually get some fucking wide threat this year and teams start to think they have to get out early or our wingbacks might have bombed off down the flank with the ball into a really dangerous position, then they won’t be so narrow/compact and play through the centre might become easier….

Better passing in midfield might be nice and very welcome, it would be all over the pitch, the solutions to breaking down teams though I feel in many aspects will come from further forward, and more collective than individual.

 

[shelfboy68]

It's glaringly obvious that Conte wants to compete and win the league at some point.
Along with pep, klopp and tuchel they are the four best managers around and we are lucky to have him, but I suppose the likes of Lego head, ten Haag and Moyes all want to win something as well.
I think it's important to start the season well with games coming thick and fast especially at the start.

 

[Joshua shepherd]

There's no doubt our squad is stronger, but I do feel we haven't improved the first 11 sufficiently this summer.

Bissouma is a CM rotation option, but we don't know yet if he will improve the first 11, particuarly if Conte ends up keeping PEH in the side and dropping Bentancur, I don't see how a PEH Bissouma midfield is stronger than a PEH Bentancur one....

The only unquestionable first 11 signing which improves us has been Perisic.

Yes our bench is a lot stronger now which is great but I do share the concern that on paper our first 11 going into the new season will still have potentially any one of Davies, Sanchez, Doherty, Emerson and PEH starting.

We haven't improved at RWB, there has been no top CB brought in.

Lenglet may prove an upgrade at LCB but he's only on loan for a year with no buy option.

I look at the side that started yestersday and I don't see that it's been strengthened sufficiently. I know it was probably a fitness /availability decision but it's so disappointing to see Sanchez still starting a game at CB, Doherty and Emerson at RWB, PEH in the middle.

This isn't being overly negative, it's just providing a bit of balance to what has been the majority of fans saying (me included) what a truiphant window it's been. Yes our squad is stronger, but our first 11 IMO hasn't improved all that much at all.

Well, we’ve spent 100m and how much better is our preffered starting 11 over last seasons? We’ve improved our bench no doubt.

Dude. I’m seriously not picking on you. But we all know our best starting line up!! Every team has one. Why you think we’re different is strange. Liverpool has a strongest line up as has city. Ours picks it self like it did the last 9 games last season. Simple as that. Only way it’s improved on is if any of those players fit better or are better. Keeper ain’t better. Back 3 ain’t better. Bissouma is better but it depends on who conte plays him with. Perisic is an upgrade. Everyone else is just a better back up option.

The reality is that this window we have improved upon 3 of the outfield 10 in Bissouma, Perisic and Lenglet.

Bissouma is one of the best CM’s in the league and has been for some time.

Perisic plays at a level above.

Lenglet’s passing ability puts him in the team in a back 3, there’s no doubt he’s an improvement on Ben in that regard.

Added to the above, we improved upon the outfield 10 with another two players in January with Kulusevski and Bentancur. That’s a 50% improvement in 7 months.

Kane, son, Romero didn’t need to be and probably couldn’t be improved upon which means 80% of the outfield 10 are players who can’t really be improved upon.

Then you have Dier who has been solid since we reverted to a 3. We were clearly trying for a top CCB but it hasn’t happened, better to wait and get the right one than simply getting someone on a similar level to Dier.

Finally we have the RWB situation. Lots of options but no standout winner. I think we’re all a bit gutted we haven’t managed to get the ‘right sided Perisic’, but for whatever reason we only managed to get a young kid with potential.

It’s a bit frustrating as it was no doubt our weakest position last season, but you have to trust that one of our options will put down a marker and secure the number one spot, there is after all heavy competition for places. This will likely inspire some and close off the path for the others, either way come January/next summer, we’ll know for sure whether: Spence has what it takes, if Emerson can actually put in a decent ball, if Doherty has more athleticism than we thought or if Lucas is cafu reborn.

Overall it’s been a top window and if you compare our squad now with last august it’s improved an incalculable amount. No amount of pre-season results will convince me otherwise.

 

[HNIM]

If you look up tldr in the Urban Dictionary it has a link to this page.

 

[fridgemagnet]

Whatever we did this Summer it was never going to be enough for some on here mate. Some are just never satisfied, just wanting everything instantly and not prepared to build anything. They ignore that Liverpool and City took years to get to the position they are, and because we aren't going after the players they deem to be "what we need", it's just constant negativity and criticism despite a ball not even being kicked.

I've put easily double figure number of members on ignore this Summer because I just can't be arsed to read their constant(in every thread) negative horseshit.

True enough; at some point last season there wasn't much of the squad I was in favour of keeping as I couldn't see any sort of spine to build from at least when the season ended I could see the nucleus of a spine and elements of a squad I'm mostly happy with what we're doing.

Spine - Lloris - Romero, Dier, Davies - Bentancur - Sonny, Kane.

Hugo & Forster seems sound enough for this year (we do need to be eyeballing up Hugo's long-term successor though) no idea who else was available but that's an 8.5 - 9 out of 10.

Could Dier & Davies (Sanchez) be improved upon in a traditional first Xl sense? Yes but they're perfectly good for the squad & regardless of any other additions in the back 3 Lenglet is a signing I'm happy we made. Ideally one more LCB/CB in if Tanganga goes. As we sit here today 8.7/10 for the back 3.

Bentancur & who else is what I ask sitting here, long term I think Bissy but people sleep on a fit Skippy, Højbjerg I think basically upgrades Winks (massively and it's no bad thing) I think we've done solid things here (not gonna lie I would've liked an Eriksen type option) I think once everyone's fit and familiar we're between 8.9 - 9.1/10 I think.

Attacking options Kulu, Richarlison, I'll hold my hands up I wasn't initially keen on Rich especially at that money but it makes sense and gives us options with the main two Sonny & Kane, I'm n to bowled over by Zanilo (should it happen but I'll admit this is probably 50 percent based on past injuries and 50 percent not sold on the limited amount I've seen of him) so attack wise I'd go 9.2 - 9.5/10 as we sit here today; if Harry signs a new deal soonish that's a cherry on top 10/10

The overarching elephant in the room; wingbacks, Perisic very happy with that signing, Spence very much a good old fashioned Spurs educated punt of a signing, Royal's done enough to get a chance to see where he's at in January IMHO Doherty I think is very poor but somehow he's caused a number of people to get their eyes painted on following 3-4 half decent games. As said elsewhere I think Reg & Sess for me it was very much a coin flip who you hold on to* The Lucas experiment is exactly that although he makes some sense to keep in the squad. I'd really love a proper straight into our "first" XI team. This for me where as we currently sit I'd say it's a 7 - 7.7/10. Perisic perhaps should bump this one a bit higher.

*In an ideal world I'd maybe say keep Reggie & Emerson add an Eriksen type midfielder to give the squad some tactical options but I'm not Conte or going through all the HG squad stuff.

As we sit it's a very good January & Summer window, just a smattering of small but no doubt expensive tweaks would make it an outstanding one.

Just my own opinions, back of a beer mat scribbles I think that gives our squad about 43.5/50 I honestly don't think that's far off a fair/realistic score with about a month of the window to go.
I think we're pretty fit, Roma definitely appeared to be blowing harder than us and they had 12 men

Your opinions are allowed to differ, I haven't rated youth team or coaching/scout additions as I don't know enough about them. Sorry for the long post!​

 

[rossdapep]

It was only back in January Conte was bemoaning how far away this team was. He stated it could be 2 years away.

Since then we've added Bentancur and Kulusevksi who contributed massively and we now have them for an entire season. Bissouma who once he understands Conte's system will be a superb addition, Richarlison who is relentless and will score some big goals for us (He's also useful in packed penalty areas as he has the knack), Lenglet who is a proper Conte CB. Perisic who is a player who offers high productivity and output, as well as being vastly experienced.

Spence is going to be a slow burner, whereas Forster is a decent back up. So not much effect there yet.

From where we were in January, thats a hell of a lot added and we've significantly boosted the depth and some areas we were weak in.

I didn't expect us to be splashing 60m on 4 or 5 players each, that will come later when we realise we need an extra little push.

Now was about establishing Conte's base.

At Inter in the first season they came incredibly short, but he'd established the base of his team. The following season by adding Hakimi and others, he was able to add that extra to get them over the line.

Considering his comments in January, that sounds about right here too. It was never going to all happen in 1 window.

 

[Marauder]

I am sure Conte checks this thread regularly and his latest thoughts quite possibly are: "TOOO LOOONG, DIDN'T BLOODY READ, DIO SANTO!"

 

[Finchyid]

There's no doubt our squad is stronger, but I do feel we haven't improved the first 11 sufficiently this summer.

Bissouma is a CM rotation option, but we don't know yet if he will improve the first 11, particuarly if Conte ends up keeping PEH in the side and dropping Bentancur, I don't see how a PEH Bissouma midfield is stronger than a PEH Bentancur one....

The only unquestionable first 11 signing which improves us has been Perisic.

Yes our bench is a lot stronger now which is great but I do share the concern that on paper our first 11 going into the new season will still have potentially any one of Davies, Sanchez, Doherty, Emerson and PEH starting.

We haven't improved at RWB, there has been no top CB brought in.

Lenglet may prove an upgrade at LCB but he's only on loan for a year with no buy option.

I look at the side that started yestersday and I don't see that it's been strengthened sufficiently. I know it was probably a fitness /availability decision but it's so disappointing to see Sanchez still starting a game at CB, Doherty and Emerson at RWB, PEH in the middle.

This isn't being overly negative, it's just providing a bit of balance to what has been the majority of fans saying (me included) what a truiphant window it's been. Yes our squad is stronger, but our first 11 IMO hasn't improved all that much at all.

Explain how you would improve the starting line up…??? perisic?? Bissouma??? And then you say you don’t want to be negative

It’s posts like that this make me wonder if I watch a different game to most!

its getting boring hearing we haven’t done this or done that..

 

[dovahkiin]