Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[djhotspur]

This squad features two world class attacking players and two more very good ones. Not that you'd know that with the shit this guy serves up. Modern managers like Howe and Artera are doing much more with much.

Lol one of those world class players is a huge part of the problem, as he’s playing so poorly. But I guess it’s contes fault son doesn’t pass, touch is awful and isn’t scoring. He missed a fair few chances in the World Cup too.
We outplayed Newcastle, yet had multiple injuries and lost due to huge mistakes from the usual suspects.

 

[Stamford]

Thats also a thing: How should players like Davies and Dier, who have their limitations, get their best out of themselves when they are basically told by their own manager that they need to be replaced. Confidence is absolutely key. You can still replace them when time comes, but not only the manager needs backing but also the current players...

He has backed them though. He came out yesterday, including a huge Dier error and said he was happy with his defence. People on here then lost their minds and said Conte had lost it and that he was 'f'n blind' etc. He can't bloody win.

 

[DanielJohnCosta]

Genuine question, apart from the lads who were brought in from transfer window during his reign. Which player/players have improved since he’s been at the club?

 

[carpediem991]

Genuine question, apart from the lads who were brought in from transfer window during his reign. Which player/players have improved since he’s been at the club?

Fair point, maybe Hojbjergs offensive output and Dier for a while...

 

[Stamford]

Fair point, maybe Hojbjergs offensive output and Dier for a while...

Son had his best season last year. Bentancur and Kulusevski were having nightmares elsewhere and came in and have become undroppable.

 

[Finchyid]

Should still easily beat a brentford team even with 11 B-players.

Typical Conte mentality right there, blame everything else but the manager/himself.

9th straight game we’re down at halftime with no goals speaks for itself.

That’s absolute bollocks sorry….yes we shouldn’t be making it hard for ourselves but easily beating Brentford? You are just wrong

 

[DanielJohnCosta]

Fair point, maybe Hojbjergs offensive output and Dier for a while...

Yep I’d give you Pierre. Tbh that’s all I can think of. I also think it’s a pretty big red flag

 

[carpediem991]

Son had his best season last year. Bentancur and Kulusevski were having nightmares elsewhere and came in and have become undroppable.

They have become undroppable after two or three weeks. Not sure how much that is down to Contes coaching or rather the recruiting process and whoever had a hand in there deserves lots of credit.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

Genuine question, apart from the lads who were brought in from transfer window during his reign. Which player/players have improved since he’s been at the club?

The entire squad? Did you not watch us under Nuno vs under Conte? I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make, but there isn’t one when it comes to improvement. He has polished the same turds we’ve had for years as best he can.

Stop living under this illusion that our players are actually incredible and are just being mismanaged.

 

[Stamford]

They have become undroppable after two or three weeks. Not sure how much that is down to Contes coaching or rather the recruiting process and whoever had a hand in there deserves lots of credit.

I've given an example and now its down to the recruitment? He literally came in and raised the level of everyone immediately which is why we got top four. Kulu and Bentancur were not playing well. Dier was back in the England squad. Davies despite being bang average was playing well. Kane was out of his Nuno slump. Son posted bigger numbers than before. PEH was better and adding goals.

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

Genuine question, apart from the lads who were brought in from transfer window during his reign. Which player/players have improved since he’s been at the club?

How do you measure that? Individually or as a collective?

What players in the squad, improved under previous 2 coaches? Or the last part of pochettinos reign?

How many of the players you stipulate are actually capable of improvement? That would be of a significant enough standard to make spurs the team we all want to see?

For me, it's about common denominators. You'll find the rot there.

In terms of opinion, I don't think there's a coach out there (see successive failures) that could get improvements or do any better.

 

[EastUpperDK82]

That’s absolute bollocks sorry….yes we shouldn’t be making it hard for ourselves but easily beating Brentford? You are are just wrong

... and arrogant... which is exactly the problem with us sometimes. We are not in a position... and have never been... where we as a club/team can afford to be arrogant or complacent towards our opponents... it's also why we stumble against Mura, Zagreb, Vitesse, Nottingham and so on in the cups...

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

I know we’ve had injuries this season and missed a few key players yesterday like Romero and Lloris but overall it is disappointing that our performances have gone backwards compared to our level and consistency at the end of last season and elephant in the room Arsenal have kicked on, playing football the way we’d like spurs to play and are top of the league.

It’s a double whammy because aside from a not perfect slightly over reliant on Haaland Man.City, Arsenal have no real competition this season, if we’d carried on our end of season performances and form then we’d be right in there with a chance, just disappointing all round so far unfortunately.

And feels like we are a bit in limbo with Conte’s contract which can’t be helping imo.

 

[FinnYid]

we had 4 1st team players missing and played a team who don’t lose much at home. I am not sure we need to be losing our shit so quickly

We had two definite starters missing while Brentford had some injuries too and dismay isn't down to yesterday alone but rather seeing that nothing has changed.

 

[Finchyid]

We had two definite starters missing while Brentford had some injuries too and dismay isn't down to yesterday alone but rather seeing that nothing has changed.

Lloris Bentancur and Romero is 3 and Richarlison is a 1st teamer

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

I know we’ve had injuries this season and missed a few key players yesterday like Romero and Lloris but overall it is disappointing that our performances have gone backwards compared to our level and consistency at the end of last season and elephant in the room Arsenal have kicked on, playing football the way we’d like spurs to play and are top of the league.

It’s a double whammy because aside from a not perfect slightly over reliant on Haaland Man.City, Arsenal have no real competition this season, if we’d carried on our end of season performances and form then we’d be right in there with a chance, just disappointing all round so far unfortunately.

And feels like we are a bit in limbo with Conte’s contract which can’t be helping imo.

I think our neighbours doing so well is making things seem ten thousand times worse than they really are for some of the fans. Emotional to say the least.

 

[joelstinton14]

The whole situation with AC is frustrating right now.

I personally say it is not that simple and just give Antonio the players and it will work. I really expected more development in the squad and the way of playing under Conte. He had a full summer to prepare, we have quite a few new players he can work with, and even though we lack two or three class defenders/wing backs, he needs to do better with the squad.

We were on a very decent way between March and June last season, where I thought we are about really to challenge for something this season, but since then we somehow have regressed or making a mess out of every game, as Conte can not find the words or tactics to do well in the first halves. There must be something in the approach that is totally not working and with Conte, who is so stubborn with his ideas and tactics, we see little to no change, no matter who is playing. We actually got out with decent last half hours quite a few time, but this way is just not sustainable. On top of that I think of the many set piece goals, especially thanks to the delivery of Perisic. Out of open play I often see very little threatening. And I personally think players like Kulusevski, Kane, Son or Richarlison have the ability to create more than they do, if the set up is right and they get enough support from the midfield/wing backs.

Another thing is Contes squad management. Take yesterday, he makes two out of five subs, and it is yet again two defenders. Players like Gil, Spence, White, Sarr or the whole youth set up are used to a bare minimum, no matter what happens on the pitch. I don't say they are the solution to our main problems, but how frustrating must this time be for our talents? And, the longer we give Conte time for his project, the less perspective is there for these players and the academy. Can you right now imagine throwing someone in like Liverpool Bajcetic or like we did with Bentaleb, Mason or Kane a few years back? I am not sure there is all happy faces in the dressing room but its kind of important if you want to achieve something as a team.

To sum it up, I don't want Conte gone now and think we have put ourselves in the corner to fully back him (if he wants to stay), but I am just a bit disappointed by a 15m a year manager and a bit worried, that we try something that just does not add up with the clubs DNA and is not working. Hope I am wrong and it will click pretty soon...

I saw a post on Twitter a couple months back about Conte having to earn the right to have a new contract and not the other way round. And to be honest I couldn’t agree more.

Conte has achieved wonderful things in the game, his record speaks for its self but it doesn’t mean he has free rein to call the shots. It’s a two way conservation. There have been really questionable decisions from him on some matchdays that if it was any other manager we be venting our frustrations more. The lack of versatility and stubbornness in some of his decisions are hard to take at times. The football at the moment isn’t great which compounds things. We’re in a season which is difficult because of a mid season World Cup, the amount of games we have had to play plus with the injuries it is always going to be difficult and affect out performances on the pitch. I can accept that we might not be flying at the moment because of those reasons but it feels something is wrong at a deeper level, and I think Conte is partially responsible for that. I honestly don’t understand after a World Cup we only make one sub. I don’t know what Gil has to do to at least get a 30 minute cameo appearance. Skipp has the energy and enterprise to affect games. Sess in inconsistent at the moment but again when he is good he is good. Not including them, especially Gil who has upped our games in the CL when he has come on and looked bright in mid preseason doesn’t get a look in, well I just don’t know what to say. It just going to affect their perormanfes

I don’t think it helps that Conte won’t 100% commit to us. I think he is enjoying being at the club, I think he been honestly surprised by that and on a public level at least he has a good working relationship with staff and players ( I know there’s itk at the moment suggesting things are strained but like with all itk, I take a with a pinch of salt, things get overblown or misinterpreted etc even if there’s a semblance of truth to what’s being said) but I don’t think it helps anyone that he won’t sign a new contract. The club, from levy down to the players won’t be settled until he does or lets it be known he isn’t going to.

But yeah I was expecting more too and my feeling is that I wouldn’t really miss him if he went. Shown glimpses of it, but I’ve been more frustrated with him than not.

 

[djhotspur]

And our lads performing like they did at the end of last season would smash the shit out of this Newcastle squad, no doubt in my mind.

Newcastle keeps getting brought up as some sort of yard stick, when their circumstances are completely unique to ours.

And yet, for all the praise being heaped on them in here, they are a mere 3 points ahead of us. Not 9-12 points that would actually matter like Arsenal, 3. 3 fucking points. One win for us and a loss for them and we are even stevens. All the while I see people saying we are playing “shit” football in comparison. They have no European football. They just had a 5 week break because almost all of their players weren’t called up for the WC. I could go on and on.

Fuck me. 3 points.

Exactly.

plus people forget the only side in the top 6 this season to beat Brentford is the league leaders.
Everyone is throwing their toys out the pram massively.
Brentford hardly created much it was just shit defence and a hell of a lot of luck that meant they scored 2 goals.
We were a crossbar, a bad penalty call away from winning that game with multiple players missing. If Romero is playing that first goal doesn’t happen, simple as that.
if we lost 2-0 got battered all game and look toothless in attack I could understand the hate but this overreaction is massive. Let’s see how we are against villa when everyone is back and we can field our full first 11 for the first time in god knows how long.

 

[djhotspur]

... and arrogant... which is exactly the problem with us sometimes. We are not in a position... and have never been... where we as a club/team can afford to be arrogant or complacent towards our opponents... it's also why we stumble against Mura, Zagreb, Vitesse, Nottingham and so on in the cups...

They spanked United 4-0 and beat city… yet we deserve to beat them for some reason

 

[FinnYid]

Also, lessons at Arsenal.

Arteta wanted to make Aubameyang captain. It didn't work out but he wasn't fired.

Arteta wanted to keep Saliba away from the team and get mature. Arsenal struggled in the meantime and Arteta wasn't fired.

Arteta spent 50m on Partey but didn't see much of a change immediately in performances. He wasn't fired and was allowed to keep spending.

Arteta wanted to get rid of Aubameyang depsite making him captain and despite the lack of goals. Form suffered yet he still wasn't fired.

The message here is clear. They back him no matter what. It gives confidence to the coach that he is in total control and can build a dressing room devoted to him.

Conte should be allowed to make some mistakes along the way and we should put up with poor performances or spells in games until he's got pretty much everything the way he wants it.

If the club are in doubt or don't wish to stretch that far, then there's zero point continuing.

You want long term project, you appoint coach for such, not serial winner (who has never been on any job for that long) with eyes on imminent prize. Conte has been with us for 59 league games, his longer stints are 151 with Juventus, 106 with Chelsea and 102 with Inter. Should he be with us whole next season, it would be his 2nd longest stint as manager. Should he make it two seasons, it would be his longest stint ever.