Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[bubble07]

I remember a couple of weeks ago conte said he told the club his ideas for the players that didn't go to the WC to train in warm weather. Do we know if they are going anywhere?

 

[Timberwolf]

With better players the play will be better. Add that to an elite winning manager and that's a recipe for success

It's been 1 year lads. It's an insane transformation. We were in huge decline after that 0-3 United game

Yeah. Not saying Conte is beyond criticism as he clearly isn't, but bringing in Conte was a huge crossroads moment for the club. If we'd brought in a Gerrard-level manager post-Nuno we could've easily finished mid-table and entered another extended period of mediocrity with CL a mere pipe dream. Paratici pissing off, Kane leaving, no Kulusevksi or Bentancur coming in, still relying on Ndombele, Dele and Lo Celso, etc.

We were very close to that happening and it could've set us back years.

Even if Conte doesn't improve things from here and leaves at the end of the season, we'll be in a MUCH better place as a club with a significantly better squad than when he arrived.

 

[walworthyid]

Yeah. Not saying Conte is beyond criticism as he clearly isn't, but bringing in Conte was a huge crossroads moment for the club. If we'd brought in a Gerrard-level manager post-Nuno we could've easily finished mid-table and entered another extended period of mediocrity with CL a mere pipe dream. Paratici pissing off, Kane leaving, no Kulusevksi or Bentancur coming in, still relying on Ndombele, Dele and Lo Celso, etc.

We were very close to that happening and it could've set us back years.

Even if Conte doesn't improve things from here and leaves at the end of the season, we'll be in a MUCH better place as a club with a significantly better squad than when he arrived.

This I have to agree with.

 

[Cochraam]

I'm relaxed with respect to Conte and think in him and Paratici we have a structure that can bring us success. I thought yesterday's performance was good and had way more positives than negatives. As with a few other recent let-downs, a couple dumb decisions undid an otherwise good showing. I tend to agree with the assessment that Sess, Davies, Dier, Sanchez, Emerson, Doherty, Moura, and Lloris are all ok, but only when we play just a couple of them. When 4 or 5 of them play all at once, then we start to have real breakdowns in the team. I think with a couple additions in January, we'll be fine, and I trust Conte and Paratici to identify those additions.

I also think it's worth remembering just how many minutes some of our players have played so far. I tend to think 3,000 to 4,000 minutes is a full season for a player and that usually comes over a 9-10 month season. This year, we're three months in and five players have already had 1,500 to 1,800 minutes, so half of a full season (those players are Kane, Dier, PEH, Bentancur, and Son, plus LLoris but goalkeepers are different). Also, since August only had one game per week, that whole accelerated scheduling has come over the last two months where we've fit in an extra month or month and a half worth of football. It's gonna take a toll. Conte can take blame here for under-rotating (add my name to those wishing he'd give Gil and Spence some minutes, any minutes!), but equally, given injuries and quality of options, I kind of get why he's leaned so heavily on a small squad.

 

[Serpico]

Love Conte and everything about him. I would run through walls for him. Some players just don’t have the steel that makes you a top player mentally. Poch and HR can relax the team and win most games, it the few big games that matter which takes you to the next level. Conte will do this with time- he’s only had one year.

 

[g_harry]

Needs a GK RWB and CB in mould of Kulusevski & Benatncur signings then he getting closer to his team.

GK
Romero CB LCB
RWB Hojberg Bent Udogie
Kulu Kane Son

 

[rossdapep]

Yeah. Not saying Conte is beyond criticism as he clearly isn't, but bringing in Conte was a huge crossroads moment for the club. If we'd brought in a Gerrard-level manager post-Nuno we could've easily finished mid-table and entered another extended period of mediocrity with CL a mere pipe dream. Paratici pissing off, Kane leaving, no Kulusevksi or Bentancur coming in, still relying on Ndombele, Dele and Lo Celso, etc.

We were very close to that happening and it could've set us back years.

Even if Conte doesn't improve things from here and leaves at the end of the season, we'll be in a MUCH better place as a club with a significantly better squad than when he arrived.

Very well said.

There is also the factor that players and staff (even Levy) pays attention to Conte and is prepared to follow him.

If we were to fire Conte at the end of the season and bring in a coach who is more about style over substance, sure the football may be great but how long before players stop listening to that coach?

Juventus and Inter players were gutted when Conte left.

 

[Timberwolf]

I'm relaxed with respect to Conte and think in him and Paratici we have a structure that can bring us success. I thought yesterday's performance was good and had way more positives than negatives. As with a few other recent let-downs, a couple dumb decisions undid an otherwise good showing. I tend to agree with the assessment that Sess, Davies, Dier, Sanchez, Emerson, Doherty, Moura, and Lloris are all ok, but only when we play just a couple of them. When 4 or 5 of them play all at once, then we start to have real breakdowns in the team. I think with a couple additions in January, we'll be fine, and I trust Conte and Paratici to identify those additions.

I also think it's worth remembering just how many minutes some of our players have played so far. I tend to think 3,000 to 4,000 minutes is a full season for a player and that usually comes over a 9-10 month season. This year, we're three months in and five players have already had 1,500 to 1,800 minutes, so half of a full season (those players are Kane, Dier, PEH, Bentancur, and Son, plus LLoris but goalkeepers are different). Also, since August only had one game per week, that whole accelerated scheduling has come over the last two months where we've fit in an extra month or month and a half worth of football. It's gonna take a toll. Conte can take blame here for under-rotating (add my name to those wishing he'd give Gil and Spence some minutes, any minutes!), but equally, given injuries and quality of options, I kind of get why he's leaned so heavily on a small squad.

Worryingly almost all those players will feature heavily in the WC too...

 

[McFlash]

He did. But he also axed Jim Leighton. one of his most loyal and important players ahead of cup final because he needed to win. Dier and Davies are fine as back ups - like they were under Poch.

I was thinking more of the O'Shea's, Silvestre's, Butt's and even ogs'. Players who could come in and do a job for a game or two, alongside the first team but you wouldn't want playing every week.
And you certainly wouldn't want to comprise a starting team with five of those sorts in it. They'd get found out.

 

[Timberwolf]

Very well said.

There is also the factor that players and staff (even Levy) pays attention to Conte and is prepared to follow him.

If we were to fire Conte at the end of the season and bring in a coach who is more about style over substance, sure the football may be great but how long before players stop listening to that coach?

Juventus and Inter players were gutted when Conte left.

Yeah this is basically why I'm not overly worried about our recent performances.

I completely understand why fans are frustrated, critical, annoyed, etc. cos we really haven't been pretty this season but I think the bigger picture is more important.

It's a very unromantic/clinical way of looking at it, but the net positive of Conte is so much better than the potential alternatives that I'm willing to cut him a lot of slack when it comes to style, playing Royal every week, etc.

If we still look unconvincing come April and are sat in 8th then I'll hold my hands up and admit I was wrong, but I still think we've gotta give Conte the benefit of the doubt for a good while yet, and play through this (relative) rough patch.

 

[bubble07]

Needs a GK RWB and CB in mould of Kulusevski & Benatncur signings then he getting closer to his team.

GK
Romero CB LCB
RWB Hojberg Bent Udogie
Kulu Kane Son

Agree and think most of us feel the same. But we also need better cover in 4 positions. So thats 7 positions... That will realistically take 3 transfer windows or ambitiously done in 2 transfer windows

LWF Richarlison RWF
Perisic Bissouma Skipp Spence
LCB Lenglet RCB
Forster

 

[spursville]

I agree that Conte needs time and last season our front three were clearly compensating for some of the dross that was (and still is) behind them. I understand we're the 10th richest club in the world and should probably have a few more better players.

At the same time I think we're only the 6th or 7th richest club in the EPL - so theoretically (unless there's a very strange season like the ones under Poch where Leicester won and many big clubs had poor seasons) we arguably are never going to have an expensive, complete squad that can win the league. We should finish 6th so finishing 3rd or 4th is a good season. By the time Conte gets his 2 or 3 transfer windows that he needs, Kane & Son may have left and also need replacing. Remember Poch lucked out and some stars aligned in order to get a cut price first eleven that included Demebele, Eriksen, Verts, Toby etc. The squad still wasn't great.

Perhaps It all boils down to whether we want to watch us finishing between 3rd and 7th with a Conte team or perhaps reaching a similar position playing more attractive football under a similar quality manager who is perhaps better at improving young players. The only way I see us getting out of this cycle is if we invest heavily in the best youth coaches and the best youth players and become the next Dortmund.

 

[mr ashley]

I genuinely believe that the recent slow start approach has been a strategy to navigate the relentless schedule of fixtures.
it’s clear that we can’t rotate through the squad and maintain the high levels of performance that we did at the end of last season with a game every 7 days. So I can see that instead it’s about managing the intensity for 60mins (maybe 45), in the knowledge that most opponents cannot also manage the fitness levels or rotation performance quality in the second half of games.
And our 2nd half fitness has been second to none so far, we’ve been better than all teams bar arsenal and maybe United. The ‘keep it tight’ approach has been risky for sure, and hard to watch as well as play in by the look of things.
But I also remember a time under Harry (might have been BMJ) where we used to start really fast and get ahead of teams early on, only to Peter out in the second half of games and get reeled back in.
I know which one I’d prefer….

 

[mr ashley]

Agree and think most of us feel the same. But we also need better cover in 4 positions. So thats 7 positions... That will realistically take 3 transfer windows or ambitiously done in 2 transfer windows

LWF Richarlison RWF
Perisic Bissouma Skipp Spence
LCB Lenglet RCB
Forster

Considering our season so far, I think dier gets a start in that backup eleven.

 

[jay2040]

Should I go for a walk and have a shag at same time to be time efficient?

Are you female!

 

[mr ashley]

I agree that Conte needs time and last season our front three were clearly compensating for some of the dross that was (and still is) behind them. I understand we're the 10th richest club in the world and should probably have a few more better players.

At the same time I think we're only the 6th or 7th richest club in the EPL - so theoretically (unless there's a very strange season like the ones under Poch where Leicester won and many big clubs had poor seasons) we arguably are never going to have an expensive, complete squad that can win the league. We should finish 6th so finishing 3rd or 4th is a good season. By the time Conte gets his 2 or 3 transfer windows that he needs, Kane & Son may have left and also need replacing. Remember Poch lucked out and some stars aligned in order to get a cut price first eleven that included Demebele, Eriksen, Verts, Toby etc. The squad still wasn't great.

Perhaps It all boils down to whether we want to watch us finishing between 3rd and 7th with a Conte team or perhaps reaching a similar position playing more attractive football under a similar quality manager who is perhaps better at improving young players. The only way I see us getting out of this cycle is if we invest heavily in the best youth coaches and the best youth players and become the next Dortmund.

I’m not sure why after only signing pope, isak and Bruno guimaraes we’ve already conceded that Newcastle will automatically go ahead of us. Likewise are arsenal a financial powerhouse, levels above us? Not so sure either.
And going into this season it didn’t take a football analyst to envisage Liverpool dropping down the league a bit after the chronic lack of investment in their squad either. Add into the transition at United and Chelsea, alongside our strong finish to last season and it was possible to believe that spurs could be the team to close the gap to city.
And we have done that as well. We’re only 6 points behind them and yet to play them too.
It’s only due to arsenals unlikely strong start to the season that I think we are so dissatisfied with our opening to the season.
Put that lot in 5th for example and we would be so much happier with the league situation, and winning the CL group.
It’s so positive when you look at it objectively. We shouldn’t be thinking about 4th-7th - it should be top 3.

Not convinced about a bright young manager with fancy football achieving the exact same results either- our entire club need winners at the helm to drag us out of this 40+yr slump.

The stadium, training ground and naming rights should also take us away from Dortmund level teams too.

Nothing wrong with having the best academy though- chelsea and arsenal are well ahead of us on that front

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Yeah. Not saying Conte is beyond criticism as he clearly isn't, but bringing in Conte was a huge crossroads moment for the club. If we'd brought in a Gerrard-level manager post-Nuno we could've easily finished mid-table and entered another extended period of mediocrity with CL a mere pipe dream. Paratici pissing off, Kane leaving, no Kulusevksi or Bentancur coming in, still relying on Ndombele, Dele and Lo Celso, etc.

We were very close to that happening and it could've set us back years.

Even if Conte doesn't improve things from here and leaves at the end of the season, we'll be in a MUCH better place as a club with a significantly better squad than when he arrived.

All so true, really great post

 

[DJS]

Are you female!

I’m not sure…?

 

[mil1lion]

It's the 2nd half performance in the last few games that really makes me want to keep backing him. Only the consistency is lacking but then that is not unlike the first year Liverpool had under Klopp where they were very up and down. When the consistency comes with better players in depth that brand of football is going to be well worth it.

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

All this talk of Klopp made me check out his record at Liverpool:

First 38 games - 66 points

Conte's first 38 games at Spurs - 79 points.


If you think we should be looking for a different manager - give your head a little wobble.