ANTONIO CONTE MAY BE MAKING SPURS A LITTLE LESS SPURSY

To see Antonio Conte speak after a match and to see him on the touchline during one can mystify even the most avid follower of football. Conte on the touchline can be a volcanic presence, seething one moment and euphoric the other. Away from the scene of action, he is tranquil and untroubled, speaking with the gentleness of a Scandinavian prison guard. 

On February 19, Antonio Conte was beaming. “Yeah, I think the first goal was great, because it came from work (in the training ground),” the Italian said. Conte was talking about Tottenham’s first goal in their thrilling 3-2 win over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in an English Premier League match. 

The former Inter coach went on to assert that the players he had at Tottenham made up “maybe the best group of players” he had worked with in his managerial career.  Coming from a man who has also managed Juventus, Chelsea and Italy, this was high praise.

IN PURSUIT OF CONSISTENCY

Four days later though, Conte looked perplexed as he sought to explain a 0-1 defeat at Burnley. “I am not used to this situation. I am trying everything but the situation is not changing,” he said.

“I am giving 20 hours a day to Tottenham and the other four hours I sleep but it is not enough. I came here to help the club and if the problem could be the coach I’m ready to go, no problem.”

However, the fiery Italian walked back his comments a few days later, after conversations with the club’s management assured him that Spurs were happy with his performance. “When I lose a game my mood is very bad and I prefer to stay alone and live the defeat, and metabolise the defeat,” Conte said, explaining his outburst. 

“I need one day to recover at least. This is me. I don’t like to lose. If you ask me what I hate in life it is to lose games.”

‘SLACKERS WILL BE KILLED’

In a managerial career that began in 2005, Conte’s attitude towards defeat has now become legend. Andrea Pirlo details in his autobiography of how Conte used to cut out newspaper articles critical of Juventus and tape them to locker room doors. 

During Conte’s reign as manager, Juventus snapped a 7-year drought without the Scudetto and went on to win 3 successive league titles.  

Thierry Henry once asked Conte in a television interview what he would do with players who displayed bad attitude. “I prefer to kill him,” said Conte matter-of-factly. Henry burst out laughing, but Conte, who was then coach of Chelsea, continued talking with a calmness that was unnerving. “Yeah, I prefer to kill him, and have (just) 22 (outfield) players. If the manager does not want to see the bad situation, then he loses the changing room.”

A WINNER WITH UNCOMPROMISING STANDARDS

Conte has a reputation of dedicating himself completely to any project he takes up and he expects the same commitment from his players and employers in return. When that happens, it has resulted in trophies. When that synergy is disturbed, Conte does not hesitate to walk, as he did at Juventus (just 2 months after extending his contract in 2014) and Inter (when the management started selling off prime assets like Romelu Lukaku and Ashraf Hakimi to ease financial troubles). His sacking from Chelsea was a culmination of events that began when the Chelsea board failed to back him over the transfer saga involving forward Diego Costa.  

Sir Alex Ferguson once famously gave his team a 3-word pep talk just before they were about to play Spurs: “Lads, it’s Tottenham”. For a while under Mauricio Pochettino, the North Londoners seemed to have shed that tag, consistently qualifying for the Champions League and even mounting the odd title challenge. Since Pochettino’s dismissal as manager in 2019 though, Tottenham seemed to have regressed. 

But under Conte, Spurs are showing a gradual improvement in playing style even while displaying the mental fragility that has dogged them for decades. 

2 SIGNINGS SPUR A GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT

While against champions Manchester City Tottenham showed a never-say-die attitude and won the match, against Manchester United they were proactive and had the Red Devils on the backfoot for most of the encounter. Only when Cristiano Ronaldo headed in his team’s third goal in the 81st minute to complete his hat-trick did Tottenham heads drop and they lost the match. 

The win over West Ham was the first time Tottenham won two matches in a row since December 26. Prior to the West Ham encounter, it was a run that read 8 wins, 8 losses and 1 draw. 

Tottenham’s improvement has been aided in part by Conte’s transfer strategy. The Italian let go of 4 players (Tanguy Ndombele, Bryan Gil, Giovani Lo Celso and Delle Alli) during the January transfer window but managed to sign only 2 to replace them. 

Those two, however, have improved Tottenham’s style of play markedly. Swede Dejan Kulusevski has made the right wing his own with his combination of pace, penetration and intelligent movement off the ball. Uruguayan Rodrigo Bentancur has quickly become a vital cog at the base of midfield, launching attacks with pinpoint accuracy from the back as well as guarding the defence with an untiring workrate. 

WILL INTERNATIONAL BREAK DAMAGE TOTTENHAM’S MOMENTUM?

Conte was a satisfied man after the West Ham win. But he cautioned, “We have to continue to work, we’re seeing that the improvement is very clear in every game, but we have to continue (in this vein).

“This team is also growing in its mentality and they’re learning to control the game and this is very important,” he said.

The Italian bemoaned the two-week international break, which could break their momentum. But he said they would “try to use this period to rest.”

“Why don’t they drink tea at White Hart Lane?” goes an old Tottenham joke. 

“Because all the cups are in Manchester”.

Not for very long, if Tottenham continue to back Antonio Conte in the summer with the signings he needs and the time necessary to transform Spurs into a contender for trophies.