• The Fighting Cock is a forum for fans of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Here you can discuss Spurs latest matches, our squad, tactics and any transfer news surrounding the club. Registration gives you access to all our forums (including 'Off Topic' discussion) and removes most of the adverts (you can remove them all via an account upgrade). You're here now, you might as well...

    Get involved!

Manager Antonio Conte

Latest Spurs videos from Sky Sports

Bill Madrid said:
In Nuno's defence, he probably had sterner tests than Conte has had so far
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I am not sure if that is true, really. City and Chelsea at home, Woolwich away, vs Liverpool at home, Chelsea and Leicester away. Plus assorted other dross.

Under Nuno the defence gave up twice as many high quality chances, and we created less than half as many. That's not just who you played, it's very much how you played. And under Nuno we really did not play well.
 
Juicy Sushi said:
I am not sure if that is true, really. City and Chelsea at home, Woolwich away, vs Liverpool at home, Chelsea and Leicester away. Plus assorted other dross.

Under Nuno the defence gave up twice as many high quality chances, and we created less than half as many. That's not just who you played, it's very much how you played. And under Nuno we really did not play well.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Certainly agree with all that second part 100%.

As for the opponents you have to add United and pre-fade-and-die West Ham to Nuno's column. I'd also think about taking out Leicester away from Conte's, down grading them to "a bit tricky" given their absentees and how they'd been playing.
 
SpiderSpurs said:
Hmmm... xG has nothing to do with thinking, it's just another way of speaking bollocks.

BTW... it's not word (never mind a big word) either.
:contearms:
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Not really. It's an effective measure of shot quality that enables people to talk about the process instead of random results. It's also much more effective at predicting future performance than talking bollocks on a forum. The facts are really simple. Antonio turned the team around in literally a couple of weeks and had us playing like a Champion's League contending team, rather than a mid-pack team, with exactly the same players.

You don't have to like xG or care about it. Some of us do, and since the clubs do too, it's worth noting.
 
bk_spur said:
I sure hope Levy is paying attention to this stat. Speaks volumes about what coach is worth sinking money into.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Levy probably isn't. But it is a good way to understand the process, and that's what a coach can actually do. Conte can't kick the ball himself and put it in the net, he teaches the team to do the process which does that. And Antonio Conte, based on everything you can measure, be it xG, touches, passes, or trophies, really, really knows how to teach football processes.
 
The moving of the players out was a massive support of Conte rather than the signings. The club will take a massive hit when they are sold but it shows they are supporting the Manager. Does not help this year's performance but still a big statement.
 
How satisfied with the club's transfer business in January were you?

About the transfer market, I think the club tried to do their best and you know very well that in January it’s not easy or simple. And I think the club tried to do the best. I repeat, it’s not simple.

To sign players you need the availability of the players and you don’t have a lot of options. That’s it.

Steve Hitchen has resigned this week, what impact does that have on you?

With Steve, I had a good relationship. For sure. It’s a pity when a good person, a good man decides to resign. And then, at the same time, it’s important to respect the decision of every single person.

For me, it was good and I enjoy the time we spent together with Steve. He worked a long time for this club and for this reason it’s right to tell him thanks. And now, personally, I wish him good luck for his career and his future.


Why did you let Dele Alli leave?

About Dele, it was a good decision for both sides, for the club and for the player. I think Dele needed another experience, another challenge in his life.


He’s a good guy and for sure I want to tell him thanks for the time we worked together but I think it was good for the player and also for the club to take this decision. Good luck to Dele and the other players that went on loan to other teams.
 
Are you happy with the new players coming in and the players heading out?

Yeah but we signed two new players, Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski. I think these two players are the right prospect for Tottenham’s philosophy, young players to develop and improve. I make them important players for the future but you know very well you need time to do this. But I think for the philosophy of Tottenham, these are two good signings for us.

About the players that went on loan, they need to play more games. I think it was right for both sides, the club and the players. These players needed to play more games.

For sure, it was strange. It was strange to send on loan, and sell one player, in the January transfer window. It was strange because it means something went wrong in the past. It was strange, I repeat in January to send four on loan, and sell one player.

It means maybe in the past, you have to see what you did, and maybe to understand that there were some mistakes in the past. Because usually you have to buy players to reinforce your team. But if you send away players on loan you bought in the last two or three years, it means maybe you did something wrong in the past.
 
Were you expecting to lose that many players?

Honestly, before arriving at Tottenham, to read the list of players you have in the squad, I considered all the players are important players, no? Because Ndombele we paid a lot for and it was the same for Lo Celso and Gil.

Then only when you’re in the situation, you understand very well which is the best solution for the club and for the players in this moment.

For sure to lose four players in January, I repeat is not normal. We shared the decision with the club and the players, but I repeat, it means something wrong happened in the past. Usually you buy players to reinforce your team, you don't lose players after one, two or three years.

For this reason, we have to pay more attention in the future when we go in the market about the choice of the players. It becomes of fundamental importance if we want to reinforce the quality of the team. Otherwise, when you go reinforce the quality of your team, you drop the quality of your team.

Do you believe your squad is better now and what's the aim for this team?

For sure, the squad is more complete because before if we had an injury, I was in great difficult, I was in trouble. For sure, the squad is now more complete. We tried to fill the right role with one midfielder in Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski can play as a number 10 and also he can play as a wing-back.

Now we’re more complete than before. Now it's time to work very hard to try to improve. We know very well there are many teams ahead of us. To catch up with them we need time and patience to work hard. Especially in the transfer market, we have to make not big mistakes. Because now – I repeat – there are many teams who started before us and they stay ahead of us.

If we want to reduce this gap, the mistakes must be minimum in every aspect. On the pitch, outside the pitch. This is my vision, my thoughts.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top