Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[Led Revolver]

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

Depends who those players are, right? I mean what does Kane think for instance?

 

[knowlespurs]

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

I would agree but think he said it on BBC then 20 mins later repeated it at the presser, maybe someone should have grabbed him in-between or maybe he meant it

 

[Metalhead]

Depends who those players are, right? I mean what does Kane think for instance?

He's probably disappointed. He must see his dream of winning trophies at Spurs as a distant one. If he really does want trophies then he must be seriously thinking of leaving now.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

Depends who those players are, right? I mean what does Kane think for instance?

IMO those that are against him are the cancer of the club, regardless of how long they’ve been here. You either push on and do better and prove your detractor wrong when you’re belittled or you crawl into a ball and sulk. I don’t want soft players at the club, soft players never win anything and that’s what we’re trying to do here.

I’m not saying this in defence of Conte either before any knickers get twisted in here, his position is untenable and he should go regardless but I don’t want ANY weak mentality being accepted at the club either.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

He's probably disappointed. He must see his dream of winning trophies at Spurs as a distant one. If he really does want trophies then he must be seriously thinking of leaving now.

That's the sad reality both the club and Harry have to accept. If he wants to win in the short term, he needs to leave and we can’t begrudge him that move either.

 

[felmani26]

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.

The attitude from board level had to align with the managers they brought in i.e. Jose and Conte.

This didn't happen and the result is what is now transpiring now - a complete shambles minus any silverware.

 

[FrankSpencer]

With all due respect to Ryan Mason, we’d be going from the equivalent of a serial winner to club scout leader..

We are the 9th richest club in the World, and pay the highest season ticket prices in the richest league in the World. Personally, with 25% of our home league games to go we should be employing a proper experienced manager right NOW! We are not even close to getting value for money the way things are being run. I’m fed up of paying through the nose to see the last 25% of what I’m paying for just be frittered away yet again by ‘mother knows best’.

Install a top class manager, and finally back him with the players that he needs to succeed. Otherwise, fuck off and sell to someone who wants to do the job properly and professionally.

I swear I read countless posts just like this when Mourinho was binned off. This club isn’t going to change until it’s sold to different owners.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

If he was really being honest he would and should have taken some responsibility for some of our failings this season and admitted that some of this sh*tshow was down to his management of the team.

He did that. I can't help it if you choose to ignore it.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

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.

This is it.

I'm not really mad at the football. I grew up watching Italian football in the 90s so even though counter attacking football is not my preference I can find some joy in it. And Conte-ball was much better than Jose-ball.

What I didn't like from day one was how Conte constantly belittled the club and made out he was doing us a favour. It's no wonder he ended up going sour with the players. It's going to be difficult for the players to feel inspired by a guy who clearly thinks he is too good for the club.

This definitely rubbed off on the fans as well. They only felt a connection to the manager when we were winning. Every other time there was just an uneasiness. He just never really felt like one of us. I think the fans would have been more forgiving of the football if Conte bought into the club and showed he cared for more than his own reputation.

 

[SpursJord]

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.

So you are saying for the first time in his career he was given players he didn't want and stayed anyway? I don't for one minute believe that to be true.

 

[mil1lion]

Whoever we get in, I'd be quite happy if we never see 3ATB ever again in my lifetime as a Tottenham fan. Just sets rigidity and negativity in from the absolute outset imo. 69000% of the time I'd rather see a 4 with someone dropping in when necessary.

It worked fine when Poch used it but he had better players and he did have us pushed to the halfway line. 3 at the back doesn't have to be defensive. You just have to prevent it being a 5 with the wingbacks too deep. You can boss the midfield with a 352 and we probably have more players suited to that formation.

 

[Hoopspur]

Harry R throwing his hat into the ring and especially to helping out Mason at the moment on talkSPORT. Would you be interested? “Of course, you get fed up sitting around or just playing golf etc”

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

How the fuck did we manage to get to a CL final, finish second, consistently finish above Arsenal, get top 4 last season, have the best striker the PL has seen..... and yet find ourselves rudderless with no direction as a Club. No plan. A faltering identity. A shroud of disillusionment smothering the white part of NL.

Fine, get rid of Conte I guess.

But absolutely fuck all is going to change. Other than Enic will just never employ a manager that isn't a yes man again.

The club is run by, and full of, a load of absolute ball bags.

 

[H-SF]

IMO those that are against him are the cancer of the club, regardless of how long they’ve been here. You either push on and do better and prove your detractor wrong when you’re belittled or you crawl into a ball and sulk. I don’t want soft players at the club, soft players never win anything and that’s what we’re trying to do here.

I’m not saying this in defence of Conte either before any knickers get twisted in here, his position is untenable and he should go regardless but I don’t want ANY weak mentality being accepted at the club either.

What? So if a player wants Conte to go he is a cancer of the club, even though he slammed the entire squad in the media at the weekend, calling them selfish + has treated some individuals poorly this season (regarding playing time). It’s only natural that some will want him to go.

 

[Russ1201]

The problem with Mason is that he's the same age as some of the players and a bit older than most, hasn't achieved anywhere near as much as a player, hasn't managed to any extent and I don't think he'd have the authority or command much respect. Shouldn't be like that, but footballers generally think pretty highly of themselves. Levy won't respect him either which is a huge issue. No way I can see him getting anything other than a caretaker stint.

True what you said but whenever anything makes sense on the footballing side of the club Levy does the opposite lol

 

[olliec]

I know everyone loves the idea of Poch coming back; but he honestly had one of the best spurs teams on paper and didn’t win anything.

kane
Son
Eriksen
Dembele
Rose
Trippier
Walker
Lloris
Toby
Jan
Peak - Dele
Wanyama before his injury!

this is when both Davies and Dier were both bench warmers who now start every game. I’m sorry but if Antonio inherited a squad like that he would have won a trophy. I’m not saying Antonio is the answer but Poch isn’t either.

conte had to manage one of the most shocking defences I’ve seen at Tottenham since the 90s.

 

[Metalhead]

This is it.

I'm not really mad at the football. I grew up watching Italian football in the 90s so even though counter attacking football is not my preference I can find some joy in it. And Conte-ball was much better than Jose-ball.

What I didn't like from day one was how Conte constantly belittled the club and made out he was doing us a favour. It's no wonder he ended up going sour with the players. It's going to be difficult for the players to feel inspired by a guy who clearly thinks he is too good for the club.

This definitely rubbed off on the fans as well. They only felt a connection to the manager when we were winning. Every other time there was just an uneasiness. He just never really felt like one of us. I think the fans would have been more forgiving of the football if Conte bought into the club and showed he cared for more than his own reputation.

I know that a lot of people felt that he had an attitude of 'doing us a favour' and there is a sense of an inferiority complex around him. I never personally felt that he was doing us a 'favour' any more than he was with any other club that he has coached. I think that he has an expectation that the other clubs with that winning culture/money could accommodate but obviously he felt that we couldn't.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

behind closed doors!!

No, openly, behind closed doors keeps it conveniently private, this has opened a huge can of worms that Levy cannot ignore, it puts the pressure on and takes the comfort zone away.

Generally ,i'd agree that such criticisms are best left between the manager and the players but this wasn't about one or two games, this was about 20 years of failure and the acceptance of that. It needed doing.

 

[C1w8]

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.

Exactly this...Conte knew Levy's MO in this also, if he thought he was going to waltz in on an short term deal and get everything he wanted "because Levy promised", that would've been pretty foolish.

Last season wasn't a failure and the first half of this season we still racked up points despite the turgid football, but it was silly of all parties to think we could just swan through the final 6 months and win a trophy/get to a final/generally for it to go well with the undercurrent of Conte preparing for his life beyond spurs and us (players, board, and fans at the stadium) beyond Conte.

Really don't want to see the same thing with Kane should he not sign a new deal and spends the last six months with us jogging around the pitch like he's on a sunday morning fun run, protecting himself from injury.

 

[strader]

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.

Given players he never wanted can only be directed towards the DoF.... Hence DoF I believe should be on his bike as well.