You can't argue with the results but I find the style of play frustrating as fuck. We're very good at limiting the opposition's clear cut chances but we've got to figure out once we get the ball back and the whole team is in a deep position how to transition and interplay and get up to the opposition goal with speed and accuracy.
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Manager Antonio Conte
- Thread starter Fattynomates
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Being a pessimist, I feel like this style of football works to a point. But if you were to stick us in something like the Super League that they proposed a few years back, I feel like we'd need more to our game to be consistent winners.
There’s some trolling in here but there is absolutely a requirement to play better too.
I don’t see us hitting the heights we want unless we up our performances over the next couple of months.
That being said, this is a totally different scenario to the one we found ourselves in early in the Jose season.
1) Conte wants us to play better. I’m encouraged by his words after every game.
2) We know this side can play better. We saw that last season!
3) We have so many more goalscoring and attacking options now than we did back then, when it really was just Son and Kane.
Delighted with the results, disappointed with some of the performances, but completely confident we can and will play better.
I don’t see us hitting the heights we want unless we up our performances over the next couple of months.
That being said, this is a totally different scenario to the one we found ourselves in early in the Jose season.
1) Conte wants us to play better. I’m encouraged by his words after every game.
2) We know this side can play better. We saw that last season!
3) We have so many more goalscoring and attacking options now than we did back then, when it really was just Son and Kane.
Delighted with the results, disappointed with some of the performances, but completely confident we can and will play better.
To be "consistent winners" in a European super league you'd need to have every other team in Europe trumped in terms of squad quality... Regardless of if your football was deemed 'dynamic' enough or not.
Just another reason why it would suck.... Spurs or teams like us would never be able to bridge the gap in the food chain. Things would be even worse than they are now on that front.
I don't have a problem with the style of play, we know it works.
The problem is that some of our players aren't brave enough to pull it off, pancaking on the ball and sloppy in possession., even Kane and Son were coughing up possession needlessly ffs
People comparing his style of play to Jose clearly don't know ball, Conte has a plan to get out when his teams are hemmed in, we've seen prime Conte ball and it's nothing like Jose sit deep and mark space and wait for Kane to produce some magic.
Anyway we obviously need to improve because when it comes off it can be devastating and it can work if executed correctly.
Totally agree with this. There seens to be some thought these performances are all part of a master gameplan but i dont believe that. You could hear Conte yesterday shouting 'play play, play' and as you say some performances from March and April were with really good passing football. All the players are referencing its not how we want to play. No idea why its not clicked in terms of passing this season so far but it will need to improve if we want to achieve our targets this season.
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Conte’s not watching though, he’s on his phone! He’s probably scrolling through his thread on TFC to be fair.
Conte and Paratici watching the UEFA Youth League match today
Watching the game through spursplay on his phone obviously
Throw in the fact we're much fitter and stronger than under Mourinho. If we need to hold out we look like we can and we look like we can keep playing late into games rather than collapse
This. I really hope bissouma is that midfield presence that calms it all down. They looked nervous with the occasion last night, even lloris. It’s obvious that Conte has got them doing that close possession drill constantly. We will get there soon.
And they do get tired, especially when Conte brings fresh legs on late on. My confidence grows every second half.
The players try too many ambitious passes. Be it long or one touch and that's where our moves break down.
They should try it, but less often. Sometimes the easy pass is the right pass. Sometimes just having the ball for a few minutes and frustrating the opposition is right. We don't have to keep trying the perfect move to open up the opposition.
They should try it, but less often. Sometimes the easy pass is the right pass. Sometimes just having the ball for a few minutes and frustrating the opposition is right. We don't have to keep trying the perfect move to open up the opposition.
I have a bit of a problem with those parts I made bold.
Yesterday first half was pretty painful watching. Not because we were set up conservatively. Not because our play was pragmatic.
But because there were 0 players on the field who could turn with the ball under even slightest of pressure. Whenever our middle-third players received a pass, they pinged it towards the direction they were looking at while they received the ball.
And that makes controlling the tempo, progressing the ball and upping the tempo very hard. And our passing patterns very readable.
Now what concerns the bolded parts - I just wanted to say that Conte knows fully well what he gets when he picks PEH+Benta duo. You get what you order, and it is inability to change the tempo. We all know that they are almost unable to provide it. Conte sees them in training every day. Nothing like that comes as a surprise. It is not issue of players, it is an issue of picking players with such inabilities. Not an accident but clear and informed decision to play like this.
Don't get me wrong - I am happy with our results. And if we would manage to keep it up with poorish performances until end of the season, then no problem whatsoever. Result over the fancyness. But I doubt we would be able to pull it off really. From some point on, teams find antidote, West Ham already did - they just let our CMs walk upfield with the ball and packed middle part of their defensive third, and our attacks were very-very tame as a result.
I love what Conte has done in terms of getting rid of players who did not deliver. And in terms of bringing on new faces. And in terms of giving us clear gameplan. And in terms of improving many (defensive) players performances. And getting us to CL. And getting good results (5 wins, 2 draws this season). Really top notch job, totally different level compared to Nuno or Mou.
But I know that this team could play even lot better. It could play lot better if we would have more attacking penetration from RWB position. If we would have player who could turn with the ball and play progressively in middle third. It could play better if one out-of-form player would not be guaranteed to start despite performance levels.
So both sides are right - Conte has done really good job and delivered good results.
But there is room to improve and there is more potential in the squad to play better. Just that to increase performance levels, some alterations now and then are needed. You cannot expect some lads to "just be more brave and play better" if you do not change a thing and run same players to ground with 3x90 minutes within 7 days. You can keep adding 2+2 up. It is 4 now. It is 4 tomorrow, and also day after tomorrow. Only in football overplaying can cause it to become 3. Now if you bring new element into the calculation, it might be 3. And you get from 4 to 5. it comes with risk of new element actually being 1 and sum dropping to 3. But you don't know before you try to change. Without change, nothing changes. Yet some here seem to think that just by saying "Aaah, darn it. Become better now. Play better ffs" something would change. It does not.
I really hope Conte would consider trying some new approaches before we will get found out more often. Have to have multiple options actually ready. Not to have some options on the bench with nailed down XI played to the ground.
So a bit of keeping possession with simple passes, I know just the man.
So a bit of keeping possession with simple passes, I know just the man.
He was wearing that very kit the last time he did it successfully.
Agree with all of this. The Jose / Conte comparisons are not just odd, they show a lack of understanding for Conte’s tactics…
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