Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[Tucker]

More so he’s been backed with the club cancelling the contracts of underperforming players on big wages. Levy would never do that as he’s in cloud cuckoo land thinking he’s recouping large fees for the opportunistic transfer punts he’s gone for over the years. And here we are again needing to sell to buy.

Dele would still be stealing a living here if Levy had his way.

So are you saying Conte hasn’t been backed in this way, or are you saying he has?

Looks to me like we did exactly that, by giving Dele away for next to nothing this time last year. We’ve also shifted out all the ones he didn’t fancy albeit on loan, Lo Celso, Reguilon, NDombele, Winks, Rodon, all out of the squad.

So it’s not the case that Levy is trying to force Conte to get a tune out of any of these players.

 

[Schoolboy Spurs]

I cannot believe people are actually blaming Conte, the man is a serial winner doing things just the way he is doing it with Spurs, before that we were blaming Mourinho, before that Poch, the players are not good enough to carry out the tactics the manager wants implemented. this is so obvious to see, he has told us we are donkeys years away from competing without serious investment Poch said the same thing even when he had a younger version of most of these players. I agree he has favourites but what's the alternative, Hugo is well past it, Sess looks and acts like a championship player, Longlet was a panic loan, Dier is done, I could go on and on but it's easier to blame the manager for some. Truth is we need serious investment in the playing staff, we need young hungry talented footballers which will cost money the board are not prepared to pay.

 

[rossdapep]

Arteta has been backed with £300m worth of signings - and Levy would have sacked him long ago anyway for finishing 8th twice with an initial style that seemed to be all over the place and not especially amazing to watch. The key difference is Arsenal invest and back, and Spurs underinvest and sack. So Arteta would ultimately fail here.

I've posted this before but look at Arteta's story at Arsenal.

- Came in and made a big noise about "non-negotiables"
- Signed Willian, Cedric and Mari.
- Made Aubameyang captain.
- Completely phased Ozil out.
- Activated Partey's 50m clause.
- Sent Saliba out on loan.
- Ditched Willian after one year.
- Played kids like Saka, Balogan, Maitland-Niles, Smith-Rowe, Martinelli ahead of experienced players.
- Got rid of Mustafi and Kolasinac.
- Took the captaincy away from Aubameyang depsite uproar from fans and told him to leave.
- Spent 30m on Gabriel
- Spent 50m on White.
- Spent 40m on Zinchenko
- Resigned Nketiah and Elnneny despite them not being quality.

A lot of these decisions were criticised and ridiculed, I'm guilty myself.

But one thing is true here.

Consistency.

The message has been the same. The decisions have been made with conviction and with a clear idea of the direction they want to go in.

If youre not on board, you're out.

Edu, the Arsenal board, Arteta are all on the same page.

The coach says Aubameyang needs to go. They make it happen.

We dont get that level of conviction and vision.

For example, We get Coach A say "Dier isn't up to it, I need better" and 4 years later nothing has been done to remedy it.

It's absolutely absurd.

Sometimes you have to cut your losses and just shove players out the door. Costly in the short term but long term you get a healthier situation and you don't need to play catch up.

Whatever direction the club to in, the coach needs to he allowed to sit down and tell them that player A, B and C need to go, no matter what, get them out one way or another.

I think Levy is guilty of being too scared to lose value on players and doesn't see that if they are replaced well enough, you get more than that value back.

He needs to look at the case of Soldado, or even Pepe at Arsenal, players brought in for huge money, yet have been replaced by academy players who are probbaly worth more than that.

If the strategy and conviction is right, there is space for new shoots to grow.

 

[Wadec]

Have to say, I don't get the sense we are about to back Conte. Regardless on your stance on Conte, there doesn't seem to be the urgency you'd like in terms of improving the squad in January.

Can't help but feel Levy will do nothing either way before the City game. Just feels like the club is running in mud compared to other teams. The leadership at the top is appalling regarding football matters.

Are you going to back Conte? If so, back him. Push for signings and make clear to those not needed they need to go. I don't expect us to be acting like Chelsea but with the money we make we could do so much more. If not, sack him. Bring in someone you want to manage the club and back them. The players not at the level will still need to go.

Just feels we are in limbo. I appreciate things are probably happening in the background but there seems to be no urgency. Levy needs to go, of that I have no doubt. It feels like he is not doing what is best for the club either way. Not backing either direction, as I said at the start regardless of your stance on Conte a decision either way has to happen. We cannot keep going like this.

 

[G Ron]

So are you saying Conte hasn’t been backed in this way, or are you saying he has?

Looks to me like we did exactly that, by giving Dele away for next to nothing this time last year. We’ve also shifted out all the ones he didn’t fancy albeit on loan, Lo Celso, Reguilon, NDombele, Winks, Rodon, all out of the squad.

So it’s not the case that Levy is trying to force Conte to get a tune out of any of these players.

Levy didn’t want to let Dele or Tanguy go. Tanguy, Lo Celso, Winks etc still on the books. Unable to shift players permanently as Levy massively overvalues them.

So no he hasn’t backed Conte in the same way whatsoever

 

[PLTuck]

I cannot believe people are actually blaming Conte, the man is a serial winner doing things just the way he is doing it with Spurs, before that we were blaming Mourinho, before that Poch, the players are not good enough to carry out the tactics the manager wants implemented. this is so obvious to see, he has told us we are donkeys years away from competing without serious investment Poch said the same thing even when he had a younger version of most of these players. I agree he has favourites but what's the alternative, Hugo is well past it, Sess looks and acts like a championship player, Longlet was a panic loan, Dier is done, I could go on and on but it's easier to blame the manager for some. Truth is we need serious investment in the playing staff, we need young hungry talented footballers which will cost money the board are not prepared to pay.

If he is so great why is he expecting Sess to be both an attacking threat and be able to contain Saka? Why is he expecting PEH + AN Ohher to contain and outplay midfield 3s every week?

Sorry but yesterday was crying out for solidity in midfield and the fact he kept it as a 2 for so long is his doing, no one elses.

 

[dannyo]

Shameful.

Especially damning when you consider that our whole MO is to try and not concede goals

 

[THE SPURSBOY]

anyone seen Dave Portnoy on twitter rant about contes style lol

 

[EssexSH27]

I cannot believe people are actually blaming Conte, the man is a serial winner doing things just the way he is doing it with Spurs, before that we were blaming Mourinho, before that Poch, the players are not good enough to carry out the tactics the manager wants implemented. this is so obvious to see, he has told us we are donkeys years away from competing without serious investment Poch said the same thing even when he had a younger version of most of these players. I agree he has favourites but what's the alternative, Hugo is well past it, Sess looks and acts like a championship player, Longlet was a panic loan, Dier is done, I could go on and on but it's easier to blame the manager for some. Truth is we need serious investment in the playing staff, we need young hungry talented footballers which will cost money the board are not prepared to pay.

The major gripe we all have is his tactics. It’s 5-2-3 every week and we’re getting played off the park most weeks at home.

We bought some young hungry players, Spence, Sarr etc. He seems to want established older players who fit in a rigid system that not many other teams are playing these days.

I mean Brighton are playing a child up front, a rookie at centre back and Lallana behind the striker. They lost their best player when he threw a wobbly and seemed to be improve. Seem to score 3 times a game. They play exactly how most would want us to play. Why can’t Spurs play like that? For me that answer is because he won’t change his tactics.

 

[floydiohead]

I've posted this before but look at Arteta's story at Arsenal.

- Came in and made a big noise about "non-negotiables"
- Signed Willian, Cedric and Mari.
- Made Aubameyang captain.
- Completely phased Ozil out.
- Activated Partey's 50m clause.
- Sent Saliba out on loan.
- Ditched Willian after one year.
- Played kids like Saka, Balogan, Maitland-Niles, Smith-Rowe, Martinelli ahead of experienced players.
- Got rid of Mustafi and Kolasinac.
- Took the captaincy away from Aubameyang depsite uproar from fans and told him to leave.
- Spent 30m on Gabriel
- Spent 50m on White.
- Spent 40m on Zinchenko
- Resigned Nketiah and Elnneny despite them not being quality.

A lot of these decisions were criticised and ridiculed, I'm guilty myself.

But one thing is true here.

Consistency.

The message has been the same. The decisions have been made with conviction and with a clear idea of the direction they want to go in.

If youre not on board, you're out.

Edu, the Arsenal board, Arteta are all on the same page.

The coach says Aubameyang needs to go. They make it happen.

We dont get that level of conviction and vision.

For example, We get Coach A say "Dier isn't up to it, I need better" and 4 years later nothing has been done to remedy it.

It's absolutely absurd.

Sometimes you have to cut your losses and just shove players out the door. Costly in the short term but long term you get a healthier situation and you don't need to play catch up.

Whatever direction the club to in, the coach needs to he allowed to sit down and tell them that player A, B and C need to go, no matter what, get them out one way or another.

I think Levy is guilty of being too scared to lose value on players and doesn't see that if they are replaced well enough, you get more than that value back.

He needs to look at the case of Soldado, or even Pepe at Arsenal, players brought in for huge money, yet have been replaced by academy players who are probbaly worth more than that.

If the strategy and conviction is right, there is space for new shoots to grow.

Superb.

 

[Trix]

I've posted this before but look at Arteta's story at Arsenal.

- Came in and made a big noise about "non-negotiables"
- Signed Willian, Cedric and Mari.
- Made Aubameyang captain.
- Completely phased Ozil out.
- Activated Partey's 50m clause.
- Sent Saliba out on loan.
- Ditched Willian after one year.
- Played kids like Saka, Balogan, Maitland-Niles, Smith-Rowe, Martinelli ahead of experienced players.
- Got rid of Mustafi and Kolasinac.
- Took the captaincy away from Aubameyang depsite uproar from fans and told him to leave.
- Spent 30m on Gabriel
- Spent 50m on White.
- Spent 40m on Zinchenko
- Resigned Nketiah and Elnneny despite them not being quality.

A lot of these decisions were criticised and ridiculed, I'm guilty myself.

But one thing is true here.

Consistency.

The message has been the same. The decisions have been made with conviction and with a clear idea of the direction they want to go in.

If youre not on board, you're out.

Edu, the Arsenal board, Arteta are all on the same page.

The coach says Aubameyang needs to go. They make it happen.

We dont get that level of conviction and vision.

For example, We get Coach A say "Dier isn't up to it, I need better" and 4 years later nothing has been done to remedy it.

It's absolutely absurd.

Sometimes you have to cut your losses and just shove players out the door. Costly in the short term but long term you get a healthier situation and you don't need to play catch up.

Whatever direction the club to in, the coach needs to he allowed to sit down and tell them that player A, B and C need to go, no matter what, get them out one way or another.

I think Levy is guilty of being too scared to lose value on players and doesn't see that if they are replaced well enough, you get more than that value back.

He needs to look at the case of Soldado, or even Pepe at Arsenal, players brought in for huge money, yet have been replaced by academy players who are probbaly worth more than that.

If the strategy and conviction is right, there is space for new shoots to grow.

I'll just point out the reason Edu and Arteta are on the same page is that Edu understands the player manager relationship and that the managers voice should always be the loudest and most listened to.

 

[Spunkmonkey]

I think if we were going to back the manager, us having one of the best DoF’s in football would have had deals lined up to be completed in the 1st week of January, rather than us being in the 2nd half of this month still being none the wiser.
I’m playing Devil’s advocate here as I’d like ENIC and Conte to leave.

 

[YB123]

I cannot believe people are actually blaming Conte, the man is a serial winner doing things just the way he is doing it with Spurs, before that we were blaming Mourinho, before that Poch, the players are not good enough to carry out the tactics the manager wants implemented. this is so obvious to see, he has told us we are donkeys years away from competing without serious investment Poch said the same thing even when he had a younger version of most of these players. I agree he has favourites but what's the alternative, Hugo is well past it, Sess looks and acts like a championship player, Longlet was a panic loan, Dier is done, I could go on and on but it's easier to blame the manager for some. Truth is we need serious investment in the playing staff, we need young hungry talented footballers which will cost money the board are not prepared to pay.

I agree, the constant blaming of Conte is embarassing. We never ever learn.

But yesterday was the exception. A 2man midfield (one being a kid on his debut) against their 3 was absolutely criminal.

 

[Cochise]

I'll also go on to say that we can all see how much of an impact Bentancur and Deki made. They were the right players for the system, so expecting the players Conte wants to not elevate us is wishful thinking imo.

 

[YB123]

I think if we were going to back the manager, us having one of the best DoF’s in football would have had deals lined up to be completed in the 1st week of January, rather than us being in the 2nd half of this month still being none the wiser.
I’m playing Devil’s advocate here as I’d like ENIC and Conte to leave.

I can guarantee Paratici does and did at Juve. But one man signs everything off rememeber. Nothing ever changes.

 

[Yantino]

I've posted this before but look at Arteta's story at Arsenal.

- Came in and made a big noise about "non-negotiables"
- Signed Willian, Cedric and Mari.
- Made Aubameyang captain.
- Completely phased Ozil out.
- Activated Partey's 50m clause.
- Sent Saliba out on loan.
- Ditched Willian after one year.
- Played kids like Saka, Balogan, Maitland-Niles, Smith-Rowe, Martinelli ahead of experienced players.
- Got rid of Mustafi and Kolasinac.
- Took the captaincy away from Aubameyang depsite uproar from fans and told him to leave.
- Spent 30m on Gabriel
- Spent 50m on White.
- Spent 40m on Zinchenko
- Resigned Nketiah and Elnneny despite them not being quality.

A lot of these decisions were criticised and ridiculed, I'm guilty myself.

But one thing is true here.

Consistency.

The message has been the same. The decisions have been made with conviction and with a clear idea of the direction they want to go in.

If youre not on board, you're out.

Edu, the Arsenal board, Arteta are all on the same page.

The coach says Aubameyang needs to go. They make it happen.

We dont get that level of conviction and vision.

For example, We get Coach A say "Dier isn't up to it, I need better" and 4 years later nothing has been done to remedy it.

It's absolutely absurd.

Sometimes you have to cut your losses and just shove players out the door. Costly in the short term but long term you get a healthier situation and you don't need to play catch up.

Whatever direction the club to in, the coach needs to he allowed to sit down and tell them that player A, B and C need to go, no matter what, get them out one way or another.

I think Levy is guilty of being too scared to lose value on players and doesn't see that if they are replaced well enough, you get more than that value back.

He needs to look at the case of Soldado, or even Pepe at Arsenal, players brought in for huge money, yet have been replaced by academy players who are probbaly worth more than that.

If the strategy and conviction is right, there is space for new shoots to grow.

Spot on.

 

[Tucker]

Levy didn’t want to let Dele or Tanguy go. Tanguy, Lo Celso, Winks etc still on the books. Unable to shift players permanently as Levy massively overvalues them.

So no he hasn’t backed Conte in the same way whatsoever

He didn’t? Then why aren’t they all still here in the squad? Why is Dele scraping bench appearances in Turkey when Levy “didn’t want to let him go.”

The first chance Conte had to get rid of Dele, he was gone. Conte was appointed in October, Dele was released to Everton on essentially a free transfer in his first transfer window.

We don’t need to release the likes of Ndomeble, Lo Celso or Reguilon on frees when there’s still an opportunity to sell them. They’ve been moved on loan. That’s backing him whether you like it or not.

He wanted them gone, they’re gone.

 

[G Ron]

I've posted this before but look at Arteta's story at Arsenal.

- Came in and made a big noise about "non-negotiables"
- Signed Willian, Cedric and Mari.
- Made Aubameyang captain.
- Completely phased Ozil out.
- Activated Partey's 50m clause.
- Sent Saliba out on loan.
- Ditched Willian after one year.
- Played kids like Saka, Balogan, Maitland-Niles, Smith-Rowe, Martinelli ahead of experienced players.
- Got rid of Mustafi and Kolasinac.
- Took the captaincy away from Aubameyang depsite uproar from fans and told him to leave.
- Spent 30m on Gabriel
- Spent 50m on White.
- Spent 40m on Zinchenko
- Resigned Nketiah and Elnneny despite them not being quality.

A lot of these decisions were criticised and ridiculed, I'm guilty myself.

But one thing is true here.

Consistency.

The message has been the same. The decisions have been made with conviction and with a clear idea of the direction they want to go in.

If youre not on board, you're out.

Edu, the Arsenal board, Arteta are all on the same page.

The coach says Aubameyang needs to go. They make it happen.

We dont get that level of conviction and vision.

For example, We get Coach A say "Dier isn't up to it, I need better" and 4 years later nothing has been done to remedy it.

It's absolutely absurd.

Sometimes you have to cut your losses and just shove players out the door. Costly in the short term but long term you get a healthier situation and you don't need to play catch up.

Whatever direction the club to in, the coach needs to he allowed to sit down and tell them that player A, B and C need to go, no matter what, get them out one way or another.

I think Levy is guilty of being too scared to lose value on players and doesn't see that if they are replaced well enough, you get more than that value back.

He needs to look at the case of Soldado, or even Pepe at Arsenal, players brought in for huge money, yet have been replaced by academy players who are probbaly worth more than that.

If the strategy and conviction is right, there is space for new shoots to grow.

I wish I could give this multiple winners - it’s exactly what I mean when I say they’ve backed their manager in every aspect and now it’s paying dividends.

We on the other hand barely ever get first choice targets and have to plump with plan B, C, or D instead. We hold onto shit dead wood players for way too long (hence the state of the current squad), and our chairman thinks he’s also the DOF l, signing players the manager doesn’t want.

We’re a fucking joke club.

Great infrastructure but what’s the point having the best training facilities when the academy set up is miles below the standards of Chelsea, Arsenal etc.

Now is the time to focus on one thing - Football. Get the players in that the manager / Paratici want. Get rid of those surplus to requirements.

Have a proper strategy and be decisive for a change.

this club will be the fucking death of me.

 

[spurs mental]

He didn’t? Then why aren’t they all still here in the squad? Why is Dele scraping bench appearances in Turkey when Levy “didn’t want to let him go.”

The first chance Conte had to get rid of Dele, he was gone. Conte was appointed in October, Dele was released to Everton on essentially a free transfer in his first transfer window.

We don’t need to release the likes of Ndomeble, Lo Celso or Reguilon on frees when there’s still an opportunity to sell them. They’ve been moved on loan. That’s backing him whether you like it or not.

He wanted them gone, they’re gone.

Let's see in the summer if Conte is here, if they return or are told to stay away until a club is found for them.

If Conte isn't here we're stuck waiting for a new man to

A) Assess them to see if they suit the system/profile
B) We're stuck trying to shift them all summer and most likely they go on loan somewhere and we still have them on the books.

 

[Nerine]

If we sack Conte, he'll go win some trophies with another team.