Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[aussiespursguy]

But Conte did really well last season, playing some lovely stuff towards the end of the season as well, we been hampered by injuries and the World Cup this year so this isn’t solely on Conte but more bad luck. I think if we had no World Cup to deal with, and less injuries to key players we would be doing a lot better than where we currently are.

Mate.........
You can only defend for so long.
Yes I get the disjointed position of 4th but we have been horrible.
I still haven't decided whether to get up at 1.30am to watch the game.
My love to watch this club has waned dramatically.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

We’ve been rubbish since the first ball of pre season was kicked. That’s got nothing to do with injuries and the World Cup.

Respectfully disagree mate

post World Cup has been a nightmare but beforehand we were doing well enough, I wouldn’t say impressive or up to standard but to say we’ve been rubbish since pre-season is a bit hyperbolic.

We had a good chance of winning a cup and we were in 3rd comfortably in terms of goals scored, the defence was letting us down big time pre-WC.

After the WC I would agree 100%.

 

[Gb160]

I'm tired, Robbie.

 

[funkycoldmedina]

Respectfully disagree mate

post World Cup has been a nightmare but beforehand we were doing well enough, I wouldn’t say impressive or up to standard but to say we’ve been rubbish since pre-season is a bit hyperbolic.

We had a good chance of winning a cup and we were in 3rd comfortably in terms of goals scored, the defence was letting us down big time pre-WC.

After the WC I would agree 100%.

I would say we've been pretty average all season. It's hard to recall a game where we've we looked well drilled. After Conte having a full pre-season I thought we would start to see a Conte team. Absorbi g pressure, hitting on the counter and most of all well drilled attacking patterns. But we've looked like we've been making it up as we go along all season, it's been one of the biggest let downs I can remember considering who we have in charge

 

[Metalhead]

Levy's problem is he has started bringing in more high profile managers or people. Those people are strong personalities that want everything their way. He needs people from smaller clubs or clubs where they work together and understand top to bottom development, not "elites" that want ready made players or won't adapt their strategy to the club they are at. That's aimed at every appointment since Poch including Fabio. We need to go back to club first mentality.

I think that because of where we are commercially, that's where he sees us now. The issue is a lack of a holistic approach - it seems really linear to him: appoint a top coach and they win you trophies. It's clearly not that simple and requires the type of organisation that you have alluded to.

 

[Dannyspur]

Comparing Poch's time at the club to Conte's is pointless. Poch's achievements here are in a different ballpark.

Achievements:
Trophies won - Poch 0 - Conte 0
Top 4 - Poch 80% (4 out of 5 ) - Conte 100% (1 out of 1)

similar ballparks really

Don’t get me wrong, the football under Poch was a million times better (for a large part of his tenure) and at least I enjoyed going to most games. We also scraped our way to the CL final ( which we unfortunately played with all the passion and spirit that we saw on Wednesday night).

Now I am thoroughly fed up with driving 200 odd miles every game to watch Conte’s turgid pedestrian anti flair football and the sooner he is gone, the better.

But as far as achievements go, both him and Poch won bugger all.

 

[Mate]

Tomorrow’s game feels like Pochettino’s final game when we drew 1-1 with Sheffield United. I think anything other than a win and it’ll be lights out for Conte.

Imagine the reaction when Poch is brought out as the HT guest appearance!

 

[sidford]

 

[Doctor Dinkey]

Everyone says this guy is some kind of genius coach but I'm just not seeing it at all. He is ludicrously inflexible in his system, can't use substitutions, and is incapable of improving players. My increasing suspicion is that his considerable success in the past has been more to do with the outstanding resources he's been given. We got 4th last year because of Son's brilliant form and the arrival of Bentancur and Kulucevski. If any Conte fan wants to give me an example of his outstanding management while at Spurs I'm all ears.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

Everyone says this guy is some kind of genius coach but I'm just not seeing it at all. He is ludicrously inflexible in his system, can't use substitutions, and is incapable of improving players. My increasing suspicion is that his considerable success in the past has been more to do with the outstanding resources he's been given. We got 4th last year because of Son's brilliant form and the arrival of Bentancur and Kulucevski. If any Conte fan wants to give me an example of his outstanding management while at Spurs I'm all ears.

I think his most obvious quality is his intense personality, which does (or did) inspire players to go to battle for him. I think it has a relatively short shelf life though.

What I find slightly odd is the insistence that we just need to bring in ‘his own players’ and then we’ll see a real Conte team. That makes no sense to me - he’s a short term manager who achieves his best results at clubs pretty much straight away. If not in his first season then definitely in his second. We’ve probably bought him more players in the time he’s been here than he usually gets - Bentancur, Kulusevski, Richarlison, Perisic, Lenglet, Bissouma, Pedro Porro. That’s a lot of players really, all intended to go straight into the first team. Seemingly with each ‘Conte player’ we buy we actually get worse, not better. What are people expecting to happen if we carry on like this?

 

[Ghost Hardware]

His embargoed comments are provocative and unecessary but it is true about the fans’ patience being gone. The atmosphere has been terrible all season, every time we are not winning at half time there is a chorus of boos meeting the whistle. Also I know this is kind of random but I was stunned by how quickly everyone in the stadium turned on Nuno. My guess if it wasn’t for covid it might have been the same with Mourinho. Makes me fear for the next manager because even if we appoint someone I’d like like Postecoglou or De Zerbi I doubt they’d be afforded the time necessary as they are not big names. It’s why Enrique might be a best of both worlds - a big name with a progressive style. Ultimately if we get the next managerial appointment wrong and things don’t improve I can only see the situation worsening so it’s a huge decision.

Considering Barca fans wanted Enrique fired by Christmas of his first season due to half a season of disjointed and unconvincing performances I don’t think he would be any better then the others you mention.

Re Conte’s comments. I actually don’t find them that bad. I think he knows he’s going and could well be fired so he’s just being less reserved. It’s very clear he’s had enough. I think he’s just trying to make the fans aware that the board don’t share their desire for success. We are at a place that he will be lambasted for anything remotely negative he says. It’s a real shame it’s got to here but I really feel fan’s frustration at this point should be solely directed at the board.

They are the ones that hired a manager who they couldn’t financially stomach, one who doesn’t play attacking football and they are the ones who haven’t fired him despite our season crashing down because they haven’t made a succession plan despite knowing for months he was likely off at the end of the season.

 

[Harrier]

Get him gone ASAP!

Mason in as caretaker until decision made on new appointment.

It would be far less toxic, and I honestly can’t see how the football could be any worse!!

 

[spursfan77]

Never go after the fans.

Especially when you don't play on the front foot football.

You will always come off worse and lose any support you have

It’s amazing the fans aren’t happy isn’t it. Couldn’t guess why!

 

[Gilzeanking]

Oh Lordy, now everyone is mad..fans, Conte, gawd knows how the players feel...well we know how Richie feels.

It could all have been so smooth a few weeks back. Conte announces that thru ill health he is taking time away from football and regretfully will be staying in Italy to recuperate....His reputation remains intact and sorrowfully we say goodbye and get well soon. He sorts out a little wage deal with Levy that pleases everyone ...and we move on.

But no, opportunity missed. Now we fill the back pages with 'Tottenham in crisis' headlines and everyone is mad.

Anyway we'll know how the players feel this afternoon. They know they can seal Conte's fate today if they want.

 

[RJR1949]

So Conte has now attacked the players and the fans.

This is going to end well isn't it?

 

[Cochise]

I've said it multiple times in the past, but our home atmosphere is toxic AF. We jeer our own players when they make mistakes, it's not a group of fans you'd want to have an off day in front of.

Conte is picking a fight with this group now. He is right that we need patience because the next bloke won't get us playing like the fans want for a while. I don't expect the next coach to get patience either, especially if Kane leaves. We are unrealistic about our place in the footballing pyramid.

With all that said, Conte seems to be doing his best to provoke a sacking. Sabotaging our chances of winning anything hasn't worked. Pointing fingers at the hierarchy hasn't worked. Turning parts of the dressing room against him hasn't worked, so now he's going to stick the knife in the fan base.

That ought to do it. Unless the players fuck it up for him and win a few.

 

[Harrier]

Respectfully disagree mate

post World Cup has been a nightmare but beforehand we were doing well enough, I wouldn’t say impressive or up to standard but to say we’ve been rubbish since pre-season is a bit hyperbolic.

We had a good chance of winning a cup and we were in 3rd comfortably in terms of goals scored, the defence was letting us down big time pre-WC.

After the WC I would agree 100%.

It really isn’t!

We were really, really shit even when we were nicking results at the start of the season.

We’ve barely had a handful of what you’d consider acceptable performances all season.

 

[spursfan77]

Ah yes so patient we boo passes, players and half time scores. He keeps telling us the players aren't good enough, something many on here and social media constantly like to bring up themselves. Our oh so patient fanbase writes off players after one game or a sub appearance. Yeah we're not as patient as you think.

Maybe he could say it better, but he isn't necessarily wrong with what he is saying. He said from day one it would take multiple windows and time.

He should go in my mind, but these comments aren't something to get upset over.

He is wrong mate.

As a fan base I’d actually say we’ve been too tolerant of failure and far too patient. Could you imagine any other top 6 club’s fans or ex players or even current players putting up with not winning a trophy since 2008? There would be uproar from them but instead all we get is ridicule and another season of terrible rebuilding from Levy.

On top of that it’s coming from a manager who won’t commit to a new contract (thankfully), has complained from day one, has brought a negative cloud over the club with his attitude and his football. I’ve defended him a lot but he’s not showing patience himself by not signing a longer contract. He can’t see the hypocrisy in his comments or actions.

 

[Styopa]

But Conte did really well last season, playing some lovely stuff towards the end of the season as well, we been hampered by injuries and the World Cup this year so this isn’t solely on Conte but more bad luck. I think if we had no World Cup to deal with, and less injuries to key players we would be doing a lot better than where we currently are.

Yeah, he did well last season. But that's starting to look like a bit of a blip in an otherwise mediocre reign. It's almost like last season was an extended new-manager bounce, and the longer he has been in charge, the worse we have been getting.

The football has mainly been dire this season, both before and after the World Cup.

We deteriorated after he was given a pre-season and several new squad additions, some of whom must have been signed off by him or his pal Paratici.

There have been injuries to key players, but Conte has been reluctant to use the squad. That's much of Richarlison's frustration, and I imagine others behind the scenes.

He was brought in with the remit of making us winners, yet we've limped out of the cup competitions to multiple teams with squads and budgets far inferior to ours.

Despite all this, I think fans would be more understanding if Conte took some responsibility for the team's failings and committed to the club. Instead, he goes on about needing patience and working miracles. But talk of patience makes no sense whilst he refuses to commit. I mean, patient for what? And what miracles? No one is asking for miracles. He is the only one talking about miracles.

 

[Crowedem]

Achievements:
Trophies won - Poch 0 - Conte 0
Top 4 - Poch 80% (4 out of 5 ) - Conte 100% (1 out of 1)

similar ballparks really

Don’t get me wrong, the football under Poch was a million times better (for a large part of his tenure) and at least I enjoyed going to most games. We also scraped our way to the CL final ( which we unfortunately played with all the passion and spirit that we saw on Wednesday night).

Now I am thoroughly fed up with driving 200 odd miles every game to watch Conte’s turgid pedestrian anti flair football and the sooner he is gone, the better.

But as far as achievements go, both him and Poch won bugger all.

I’d suggest their win percentages, the comfort of the top four finishes and the cup runs (particularly the appalling performance from Conte in all Cup competitions) still count as achievements.

I’m with you though. Conte’s tactics have sucked the life out this club - it’s madness that he has the balls to tell us we’re impatient as a fan base when the football is as shocking as it is. One strong run to achieve top four (which realistically only lasted a few months) is a tiny amount of positivity out of an 18 month reign.