Antonio Conte transformation of Spurs
Antonio Conte was announced as Nuno Espirito Santo’s successor before the international break and is tasked with taking Spurs back to the top table of English football.
Conte on winning waysHe admits the task of reviving this fading Tottenham team is the "biggest challenge of his coaching career".
He has called for patience as he tries to take Tottenham back to the top table of English football.
Antonio Conte has a stellar record as a manager and has won league titles at Juventus FC, Chelsea FC, and also at Inter Milan.
Tottenham has a new billion-dollar's stadium and state-of-the-art training facilities. Antonio Conte knows well that fans and management's patience is short and he needs to turn things around and at least qualify for the Champions League.
The 52-year-old stated that: 'The club has been slipping. When I was in Chelsea, Tottenham was very competitive and a really strong team. To lose important players, or because some became old and then to have a change of generation, I think Tottenham now is paying for this. We have to start again. We have to create a solid base and build to come back and fight for something important as in the past. We must be honest. But it doesn't mean we don't want to think great. We need to think great. But, at this moment, we have to know we are here.'
On the face of it, Tottenham has improved defensively since the managerial change. when you break Antonio Conte's team’s record down – they conceded 1.6 goals per game under Nuno Espirito Santo in the first 10 matches of the 2021-22 season, compared to just 1.05 since Conte’s arrival on 2nd November.
It is easy to focus solely on the fact that Spurs are conceding fewer goals with Antonio Conte in charge but while the Italian will be happy to point that out, he has added so much more to this Spurs than just defense.
Conte has only been at the club for a few months. The overall shape, both on and off the ball, is looking compressed and secure. Automatisms are beginning to form as the players follow strict instructions for getting the ball into the final third, and results are dramatically improving. They are progressive in possession, proactive out of possession, and stabilizing this side to provide a platform for a top-four push.
With two games in hand over West Ham and Arsenal above them, and just two points off the Champions League places, Spurs are in a good position to dash for the top four. Not bad for a club drowning in crisis just eight weeks ago.