Robinson: This is what 'honest' Conte told me about Spurs squad post-Chelsea

[mawspurs]

Paul Robinson has revealed he spoke “at length” to Tottenham manager Antonio Conte after the Chelsea defeat. The former White Hart Lane number one exclusively told Football Insider that Conte, 52, said the performance at Stamford Bridge was “the best he can do with that current group of players.”

Source: Football Insider

 

[beuller]

David Brent-esque

I find the idea that conte sat down for a 1 to 1 with Robbo quite funny.

AC - "These guys are so shit. It would probably be easier if I had someone like you helping me train them Paul"

PR - "Sorry Tony, no can do. I am earning shit loads for my investigative journalism with Football Insider. Its big boys shit"

 

[Amo]

They had been in awful form and struggled to draw with Brighton.

 

[Freddie]

Zola and Robbo coming out with the same story...seems like Conte is getting the word out there that we're in desperate need of Sofyan Amrabat

 

[marion52]

Chelsea had hardly won a game recently, nearly all draws. Find it difficult to believe we can give Liverpool a good game but lay down and surrender to that lot. Conte needs to earn his mega salary and get those players up for it.

 

[Freddie]

Chelsea had hardly won a game recently, nearly all draws. Find it difficult to believe we can give Liverpool a good game but lay down and surrender to that lot. Conte needs to earn his mega salary and get those players up for it.

Unbeaten in the league until this game. He's wrung every drop out of them. He can't keep performing miracles.

 

[ShelfWatcher]

Well if Conte believes that, then I despair. Yes he is a great manager, but to me, a mug punter nobody, he got it wrong, and we could have done better

 

[WhiteHeartLowe]

Well if Conte believes that, then I despair. Yes he is a great manager, but to me, a mug punter nobody, he got it wrong, and we could have done better

better like who...?

 

[ShelfWatcher]

better like who...?

Not who, but what he could have done better v Chelsea. There are lots of things I think he could have done better, but the key one Skipp for Tanganga at half time

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Not who, but what he could have done better v Chelsea. There are lots of things I think he could have done better, but the key one Skipp for Tanganga at half time

Skipp, Moura, Emerson & Reguilon weren't fit enough to start, in addition to Son and Romero being unavailable. Perhaps being able to select more than five of his preferred starting XI would have allowed him to do better. As it was, he had to change to an unfamiliar formation to fit in the players who were at his disposal.

You say Skipp should have come on at half-time, but we (unlike Conte and his coaching team) have no way of knowing how many minutes Skipp (who was not 100% fit) was up to. For all we know, Conte may actually have thrown Skipp on for more minutes than was recommended by the team physio.

It could be argued that Conte compounded our injury problems by dropping all of Dele, Ndombele and Lo Celso simultaneously, but we also don't know all the facts on this situation. If we are actively trying to move those players on this month, they may well not have been in the right frame of mind to play, plus jeopardising a potential transfer by risking injury to them would not be prudent. This is why it's very routine for players, at any club, to be dropped during a transfer window if they are potentially on their way out.

 

[ShelfWatcher]

Skipp, Moura, Emerson & Reguilon weren't fit enough to start, in addition to Son and Romero being unavailable. Perhaps being able to select more than five of his preferred starting XI would have allowed him to do better. As it was, he had to change to an unfamiliar formation to fit in the players who were at his disposal.

You say Skipp should have come on at half-time, but we (unlike Conte and his coaching team) have no way of knowing how many minutes Skipp (who was not 100% fit) was up to. For all we know, Conte may actually have thrown Skipp on for more minutes than was recommended by the team physio.

It could be argued that Conte compounded our injury problems by dropping all of Dele, Ndombele and Lo Celso simultaneously, but we also don't know all the facts on this situation. If we are actively trying to move those players on this month, they may well not have been in the right frame of mind to play, plus jeopardising a potential transfer by risking injury to them would not be prudent. This is why it's very routine for players, at any club, to be dropped during a transfer window if they are potentially on their way out.

Don't agree, think Conte got it wrong and could have done better
Yes he is a great manager, and I am very happy he is our manager, but even Bill Nicholson made mistakes

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Don't agree, think Conte got it wrong and could have done better
Yes he is a great manager, and I am very happy he is our manager, but even Bill Nicholson made mistakes

I'd be interested to know what you think he got wrong (aside from not bringing on Skipp earlier, as I've already commented on that assertion).

Not for a second am I suggesting Conte can't/won't/hasn't made mistakes, but over half of his preferred starting line-up was unavailable on Sunday, which left us with an inferior lineup compared to our opponents no matter who he selected. In my opinion, it was one of those days when the manager getting everything right was unlikely to result in much more than damage limitation, while mistakes would have left us at high risk of being completely embarrassed (which we were not).

If Chelsea had lost to us, despite our team being so depleted, what would it have said about them? They're reigning European champions, are sitting above us in the league and also have a very good manager. Even if we'd been at full strength, they were always going into the game as favourites at Stamford Bridge, so even a draw would have been an upset.

 

[ShelfWatcher]

I'd be interested to know what you think he got wrong (aside from not bringing on Skipp earlier, as I've already commented on that assertion).

Not for a second am I suggesting Conte can't/won't/hasn't made mistakes, but over half of his preferred starting line-up was unavailable on Sunday, which left us with an inferior lineup compared to our opponents no matter who he selected. In my opinion, it was one of those days when the manager getting everything right was unlikely to result in much more than damage limitation, while mistakes would have left us at high risk of being completely embarrassed (which we were not).

If Chelsea had lost to us, despite our team being so depleted, what would it have said about them? They're reigning European champions, are sitting above us in the league and also have a very good manager. Even if we'd been at full strength, they were always going into the game as favourites at Stamford Bridge, so even a draw would have been an upset.

Well for a start off I wouldn't have played Tanganga. I would have played either GLC or White in a 352 or some variant of that.
I also prefer Paskotsi to Tanganga, so I would have integrated him a long time ago, and Tanganga would not have started for a few games now.
I also don't rate Sessegnon so would rather have Gil than him in the position he was played in
I have posted lots on Spurs Chat about my preferred line ups and players. Markanday would also have been in my squad, like Paskotsi given chances to integrate
If you look at Chelsea's form prior to the game it was poor. They drew with Brighton at home, I think the only team they've beaten in January is us
I don't agree with your analysis of them, or of that particular game. I don't say you're wrong or that I'm wrong. I say I see it completely different to you and to Conte.
He's the manager, so his is the only view that matters. But doesn't mean to say I have to like it ?

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Well for a start off I wouldn't have played Tanganga. I would have played either GLC or White in a 352 or some variant of that.
I also prefer Paskotsi to Tanganga, so I would have integrated him a long time ago, and Tanganga would not have started for a few games now.
I also don't rate Sessegnon so would rather have Gil than him in the position he was played in
I have posted lots on Spurs Chat about my preferred line ups and players. Markanday would also have been in my squad, like Paskotsi given chances to integrate
If you look at Chelsea's form prior to the game it was poor. They drew with Brighton at home, I think the only team they've beaten in January is us
I don't agree with your analysis of them, or of that particular game. I don't say you're wrong or that I'm wrong. I say I see it completely different to you and to Conte.
He's the manager, so his is the only view that matters. But doesn't mean to say I have to like it ?

Well we agree on not rating Sessegnon

I think Chelsea's "loss of form" has been massively overplayed in the media. They've only lost once in their last 14 games and that was a 1-0 defeat away to Man City. In addition to beating us (three times ) this month, they cruised through the FA Cup and taken points off Liverpool. They went into Sunday with the confidence of having beaten us twice and booked their place in cup final, while our players were probably busy wondering how they're supposed to overcome a side they've been second best to twice in the last fortnight now that their team is even more depleted by injuries.
I assume you've highlighted the draw with Brighton because you consider than an upset. However, Brighton aren't far behind us in the table, have only lost once in their last 11 games, and weren't missing over half of their starting XI (unlike us), so them taking points off Chelsea is far less of an upset than if we'd managed it.

I'd be happy to integrate a couple more academy players for the remainder of this season if it helped us to offload some of the deadwood now, in anticipation of summer signings that we've already lined up. If we don't have deals on the table already though, it would not only reduce our chances of top 4 this season but also could be perceived by prospective signings as us lacking ambition (selling players without replacing them instead of prioritising CL qualification).

White is a tidy player, and I'd rather see him coming off the bench in CM than Dele, but I'm not sure I'd fancy him to start in games where we aren't expecting to control possession (i.e. away to Chelsea).

While Tanganga isn't good enough to regularly be starting in big games for a top 4 contender, I'd say he's not too bad as a 5th choice CB / 3rd choice RB at any club. Three consecutive managers have deemed him good enough for our first team squad, while Rodon has failed to convince any of them. I'm hoping Paskotsi makes the step up at some point, but haven't seen enough of him to have an opinion on how likely this is and would be shocked if he was ready without a loan spell.

I think Markanday will benefit from some time in the Championship, but it's a shame he's left permanently rather than on loan. We've seen plenty of times before that goals in youth matches often don't translate into goals in the PL. Markanday's goals & assists stats in 'Premier League 2' may look impressive at first glance, but once compared to White (a CDM!) it raises a big question-mark. White is the younger of the two (marginally) and made his debut in Premier League 2 a year later than Markanday, so I'm struggling to comprehend why the offensive winger doesn't blow the goal & assist stats of the defensive midfielder out of the water. Does suggest that White could potentially contribute some attacking threat for us as part of a CM 3 though!

White: 27 goals & assists / 46 games = 0.59 per game
Markanday: 31 goals & assists / 56 games = 0.55 per game

 

[ShelfWatcher]

Fair comments, we have a lot in common, but obviously will never agree about last Sunday ?