Ex-Manager watch: Antonio Conte

[dontcallme]

This season is such a mess. None of our summer signings have really done anything. Partly through injury and settling in but when none make a positive impact it has an effect.

And no, I’m not saying Conte has no part in this.

We finished last season so well and there was much optimism. But the football has been poor, last season’s joint top scorer has been terrible but still plays every and we only have one defender playing to a good level.

I thought the success of Conte would depend on the quality and suitability of Paratici’s signings but that too has taken an unexpected turn.

I don’t know if sacking Conte is the right decision but I do think how focused and determined he is to make a success of it is what should decide if he stays next season.

 

[Jody]

Brilliant post!

I was there yesterday, at half term I turned to the guy next to me and we both just shrugged our shoulders. We were the better team but we weren't anything spectacular, it was a boring half of football.

I think it may have been in something like the 88th minute and we put together a nice quick passing move which led to a corner. That was my first memory of the kind of football we should be seeing and it was the 88th ******* minute! We used to see regular patterns of play week in week out and now we are lucky if we see one a game.

It's just not good enough, the football we see week in week out is terrible. We are one of if not the most boring team to watch week in week out in the Prem.

And have been all season tbf.

 

[H-SF]

It baffles me that people say Conte
hasn’t been backed. It’s honestly crazy talk. He has been backed more so than any manager in the history of this club with player purchases and squad culling.

Since he arrived, the club have spent roughly £270m(including loan options + obligations) on transfers for him. They’ve taken huge losses on players they could’ve got better fees for E.g. Sissoko, Dele, Alderweireld, Doherty, Reguilon, Lo Celso & Ndombele albeit the last 3 are on loan as Levy/Paratici continues to be useless at actually selling players but that is beside the point as they still listened and got them out of Conte’s squad.

The only instances I can attribute to Paratici/Levy failing Conte is not signing him a top quality LCB and signing Spence when it was clear Conte didn’t want him. Even then, Conte’s complete refusal to even look at Spence let alone give him minutes on the pitch spoke volumes about his inability to actually coach players.

Yes, when we announced the “cash injection” I was expecting a considerably larger outlay but to simply say “Conte wasn’t backed, this is Levy’s fault” is wrong and agenda driven. Conte was backed enough to improve us. He’s made us much worse. That’s why he needs to go.

Exactly. You can only say he hasn’t got a marquee CB but in every other area he’s been backed at least reasonably.

 

[Nebby]

Agree with that. Our use of subs has been diabolical. So much for tactical changes and fresh legs with the new sub rules.

Indeed. One of my biggest gripes is that when we do make changes we make like-for-like changes (or like-for-worse!), when yesterday we desperately needed a change in shape. But we have a manger who cannot abide a back four, likes to leave us short in midfield, and starves two of the most prolific forwards we've ever seen at the club. At least Jose concentrated on our strengths - getting the ball to Kane and Son and letting them do their thing.

 

[Gb160]

Keeping Conte will just be another few years of rinse and repeat. His football philosophy is stale, broken and boring. Fans won’t put up with it. The whole place is toxic now, big, brave changes are required from top to bottom.

This from a bloke who voted to keep Enic in the takeover thread?

 

[Nebby]

It baffles me that people say Conte
hasn’t been backed. It’s honestly crazy talk. He has been backed more so than any manager in the history of this club with player purchases and squad culling.

Since he arrived, the club have spent roughly £270m(including loan options + obligations) on transfers for him. They’ve taken huge losses on players they could’ve got better fees for E.g. Sissoko, Dele, Alderweireld, Doherty, Reguilon, Lo Celso & Ndombele albeit the last 3 are on loan as Levy/Paratici continues to be useless at actually selling players but that is beside the point as they still listened and got them out of Conte’s squad.

The only instances I can attribute to Paratici/Levy failing Conte is not signing him a top quality LCB and signing Spence when it was clear Conte didn’t want him. Even then, Conte’s complete refusal to even look at Spence let alone give him minutes on the pitch spoke volumes about his inability to actually coach players.

Yes, when we announced the “cash injection” I was expecting a considerably larger outlay but to simply say “Conte wasn’t backed, this is Levy’s fault” is wrong and agenda driven. Conte was backed enough to improve us. He’s made us much worse. That’s why he needs to go.

Agreed. But to be fair, it's not easy to shift a player on decent wages and years to run on a contract if they fancy sitting it out. And as Conte will most likely be gone in the summer, maybe the next guy might be able to get a tune out of one or two of them?

 

[felmani26]

I'll put it succintly;

I can accept pragmatic football if it yields results and allied with a correct ruthless attitude in reaching our goals - primarily Cup success.

If that's not happening then it's a miserable waste of everyone's time, money and effort.

 

[bigfrooj]

Wolves have three fantastic midfielders and a couple they can bring off the bench. They have no in form striker - an orthodox striker hasn’t scored for them since March 10th last year. You are the manager - how do you line up? Hints: you have just two (very hard running and hard working that can add to the attack if given the chance) midfielders in your favoured formation so you may want to change that? Do you have three central defenders up against one very old, out of form striker? Do you stick to your predictable ways and give Wolves a leg-up right throughout the match? Do you go all out attack when you realise they are there for the taking and unlikely to score, or do you keep your lovely compact defensive shape? Do you try to entertain your superb and loyal away fans? You are Antonio Conte, what would you do?

 

[agrdavidsfan]

Soon as west ham sack moyes and go for poch levy will bite

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

Poch May have the choice of both West Ham or Chelsea come next weekend

 

[Yiddo100]

Soon as west ham sack moyes and go for poch levy will bite

Nah he knows poch would have no interest in going there

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

I will honestly shit in my hands and clap if Poch goes to either Chelsea or West Ham

PS. Please don’t quote me on this when it happens

 

[cjsimba]

Says it all that I feel more like a Man City fan at the moment than a Spurs fan.

More nervous watching the City and Arsenal games hoping City win and Arsenal lose as I’m just so numb to everything Spurs.

Until things change at the top at Spurs, the only joy I take in football is when our arch rivals slip up in their pursuit of the title; a pursuit made all the more unbearable given rationally it was meant to be us doing it, not them, after what happened at the end of last season.

I was far more nervous, and consequently distraught, with what happened at the end at the Emirates yesterday than I was at Molineux. So so sad that that’s the truth.

 

[defoes5]

I think of it this way, what team has ever had long term success playing this ‘pragmatic football’ Sure you’ve had a couple league titles like chelsea with different managers over the years and the odd CL win like Porto or Inter Milan under Mourinho but when you think of the Man UTDs, Liverpool, City long term success over the the last 20 years all have played progressive, on the front foot football- it must be the way forward, surely?

 

[thebenjamin]

Says it all that I feel more like a Man City fan at the moment than a Spurs fan.

More nervous watching the City and Arsenal games hoping City win and Arsenal lose as I’m just so numb to everything Spurs.

Until things change at the top at Spurs, the only joy I take in football is when our arch rivals slip up in their pursuit of the title; a pursuit made all the more unbearable given rationally it was meant to be us doing it after what happened at the end of last season.

I was far more nervous, and consequently distraught, with what happened at the end at the Emirates yesterday than I was at Molineux. So so sad that that’s the truth.

Yeah agree completely, all I care about now is the scum not winning the title. Its far more important than anything spurs are going to do this season

 

[King of the Lane]

The thing that keeps playing on my mind is an old Eriksen interview where he basically said that Conte wants control over everything a player does. He wants them to do exactly as he says when they have the ball and also off the ball. This was always a worry for me and I think we are seeing this with our players as they all look restricted and scared to make mistakes. Ive been a big fan of Conte and will support until he goes but I feel we are being really shackled and not getting anywhere near the best out of this team. I think we are all on a countdown until he goes and to be honest I would rather rip the plaster off now then prolong things.

 

[Westmorlandspur]

It baffles me that people say Conte
hasn’t been backed. It’s honestly crazy talk. He has been backed more so than any manager in the history of this club with player purchases and squad culling.

Since he arrived, the club have spent roughly £270m(including loan options + obligations) on transfers for him. They’ve taken huge losses on players they could’ve got better fees for E.g. Sissoko, Dele, Alderweireld, Doherty, Reguilon, Lo Celso & Ndombele albeit the last 3 are on loan as Levy/Paratici continues to be useless at actually selling players but that is beside the point as they still listened and got them out of Conte’s squad.

The only instances I can attribute to Paratici/Levy failing Conte is not signing him a top quality LCB and signing Spence when it was clear Conte didn’t want him. Even then, Conte’s complete refusal to even look at Spence let alone give him minutes on the pitch spoke volumes about his inability to actually coach players.

Yes, when we announced the “cash injection” I was expecting a considerably larger outlay but to simply say “Conte wasn’t backed, this is Levy’s fault” is wrong and agenda driven. Conte was backed enough to improve us. He’s made us much worse. That’s why he needs to go.

Better fee for Dele? Where did that come from. He was so poor we were lucky to give him away. Couldn’t get a game for Everton. Sissoko was finished and the only people who can pay the wages of Tanguy, Lo Celso Reggie are prem lge clubs . Obviously no one wants them. Will have to go for lower fees to shift them. Backed Poch for Tanguy and Celso…..worked out well didn’t it.

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

Better fee for Dele? Where did that come from. He was so poor we were lucky to give him away. Couldn’t get a game for Everton. Sissoko was finished and the only people who can pay the wages of Tanguy, Lo Celso Reggie are prem lge clubs . Obviously no one wants them. Will have to go for lower fees to shift them. Backed Poch for Tanguy and Celso…..worked out well didn’t it.

Dele went on a free transfer. Excuse me for thinking we could’ve gotten a better fee than nothing for an England international with 50+ goal contributions and a PFA young player of the year award.

Most of the people who want Poch back, including myself, have acknowledged that Poch will only work if he’s coupled with a good sporting director. Nobody can question his coaching credentials and that’s exactly what we’re currently lacking.

 

[spurs mental]

Who cares

Considering every man and his dog cares when Poch even goes to the toilet I'd say plenty will care. I certainly will.

But each to their own.

 

[spurs mental]

It baffles me that people say Conte
hasn’t been backed. It’s honestly crazy talk. He has been backed more so than any manager in the history of this club with player purchases and squad culling.

Seriously, show me where someone, anyone, has said he hasn't been backed? It's absolute nonsense that keeps coming out about people saying he hasn't been.

Not one person has said that he wasn't backed. Not one. But it suits your agenda to say that it has been said and you'll get the likes and winners from many for it anyway.

Everyone has said he has been backed, we have spent money, but need to continue to do so. We gave a lot of problems to fix, and they are not quick fixes. They have been problems we've had since before Poch's team started to decline.

How anyone still thinks a new manager is coming in and making us infinitely better with half the squad we have here is laughable. Absolutely laughable.

And I'm sure I'll get the negative ratings from the same crowd as always on this, but no engagement because its fact. A new manager isn't changing anything other than a formation and maybe us having a bit more possession. We aren't going to win more games or make less mistakes.

It was the same argument with Jose. A new manager will get more out of them. Well no, Mason didn't. We won games at the end of that season you'd fully have expected us to. And Nuno won 3 games with most of the same squad before it fell flat on its face. Conte managed a longer leg of momentum before they dropped off again.