Antonio Conte has made it clear to the Tottenham board that his outburst of fury was directed exclusively at the players and not at the owner or the president.
It’s business as usual at Tottenham despite an extraordinary tirade in which Conte called his Spurs players “selfish” after his side squandered a two-goal lead on bottom club Southampton.
He also appeared to attack club property, but Conte’s clarification to the board is understood to have noted that he asked why only the club and managers take responsibility for not winning while the players get “alibis”.
Players and staff are currently on two pre-scheduled days off and will report to training camp on Tuesday, which would have been the case regardless of the result.
There has been no public reaction from players in response to Conte’s comments so far, with Christian Romero and Pedro Porro the only players to have posted on social media since the outbreak.
sky sports Jamie Carragher said he believed Conte wants to be sacked following the Italian’s tirade, while Jamie Redknapp feels the Italian’s position is becoming untenable.
Conte’s contract with Spurs expires this summer and sky sports Gary Neville said that he would “keep him where he is and make him do his job”.
Sky Sports News reported earlier this month that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is under great pressure to reappoint Mauricio Pochettino as Spurs manager, with several players and staff pleading with the Argentine to return and reinvigorate the club.
Tottenham’s collapse at St Mary’s capped a miserable march in which they were kicked out of both the FA Cup and Champions League to leave them trophyless since 2008.
Analysis: From the ‘glory game’ to the ‘blame game’
This was supposed to be a season where Spurs build on the progress made last season, but it has been a disappointing campaign and the latest low point was blowing a 3-1 lead at Southampton on Saturday.
That seemed to be the final straw for Conte and he didn’t hold back in his post-match press conference. But who is really to blame for what went wrong this season?
Here, Sky Sports News reporter michael bridge dissects that question from three different perspectives: Conte, the board, and the fans.
antonio count
Conte vented practically everything in front of the media on Saturday. We’ve seen it before, of course. Conte has a history of speaking his mind to reporters when he has managed Juventus, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Italy.
We got a glimpse of what was to come when he wondered if he was the right man for the job after the 1-0 defeat at Burnley in February last year. He later admitted that those comments were intended to challenge the players, but on Saturday he felt more personal.
The big question is what the club’s hierarchy will do with his comments. Conte has consistently told reporters that he is honest with the board, telling them what must be done for the club to take the next big step.
It became clear on Saturday that he’s frustrated that his players often seem to get a free pass when it comes to criticism in the media, but questioning his commitment could be a dangerous game despite many Spurs fans thinking there are players in the game. club that just aren’t good enough.
Conte can point to injury issues as part of the reason for what went wrong this season. Serious injuries to Hugo Lloris and, more importantly, to Rodrigo Bentancur have not helped, but all coaches have to put up with players being out.
You can also point to the fact that last season’s Golden Boot winner Heung-min Son has scored just six times this season.
Harry Kane is always going to score goals for you, but Conte knows that a successful team cannot depend on just one key player, no matter how good they are.
Any review of Conte’s performance this season must acknowledge that it has been a very tough campaign for him on a personal level. He lost three close friends and underwent gallbladder surgery.
Only he seems to know if he will sign a new contract, but that seems extremely unlikely at this point.
the board
Daniel Levy is a big fan of Conte. At the staff Christmas party, his name was mentioned throughout his speech.
It was all very positive, but that seems like a long time ago now.
The board has always been aware that Conte does not like to work on long contracts and the mutual opinion was that they would discuss an extension this season, a season that held much promise.
Spurs were third favorites for the title last summer and they deserved it after such a promising end to last season – three wins in a row, including a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal. Levy has every right to look forward to next season knowing that he had one of soccer’s most respected and successful managers on his bench.
Daniel Levy is believed to be a big fan of Conte.
Of course, Levy and the board have faced criticism over spending and transfer policy, but they would argue that they have backed Conte. Richarlison came for big money from Everton, Yves Bissouma was a key player at Brighton and Conte wanted Ivan Perisic, but despite all the arguments, last summer’s most successful signing was backup goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
For all the money that has been spent, the defense looks woefully lacking in quality and when first-choice central targets were unavailable last summer, Clement Lenglet went on loan and failed to convince.
Fans often blame the club’s leadership for the fact that Spurs won only one major trophy during Levy’s time, but previous managers, apart from Conte, are also to blame, especially when it comes to a questionable selection from the club. team in semifinals and important finals.
The fans
Just when Spurs fans thought they were headed for a relaxing two-week break during the international break, suddenly it’s all doom and gloom again. The club that was famous for the glory game is playing the blame game again.
It’s surprising to think that Spurs were seconds away from going third at half-time in the Premier League, but miserable game management as they led 3-1 and a controversial penalty kick changed all that.
Many fans now think that finishing in the top four would not be enough to make up for a disappointing and discouraging campaign. You don’t get a trophy for finishing fourth and the FA Cup defeat at Sheffield United last month was one of the decisive 90 minutes of the season.
Some Spurs fans believe Conte was right to speak on Saturday. They say that his criticism of the players and the board had been long overdue. However, there are also many fans who believe that Conte is paid more than enough to accept responsibility, change the formation and get more out of the squad.
One thing all fans can agree on is that Conte’s contract that ends this summer has played a big part in the uncertainty hanging over the club.
How can you hope to build when the man in charge has no intention of committing his future to the club? How can you be working on summer transfers when no one knows if Conte is staying or going?
Spurs fans used to scoff at Mikel Arteta’s “trust the process” mantra at the start of his time as Arsenal manager, now they envy that very process.
On the day that Beyoncé is due to play at what used to be called White Hart Lane, Arsenal could be displaying the Premier League trophy on the road.
Ten months ago, Spurs beat Arsenal 3-0 at home. That is a very distant memory now.
As North London’s red half grows stronger, Daniel Levy & Co have to draw up contingency plans for another rebuild, and their 13th manager in 20 years.
