I started a similar thread for Mourinho (above) so figured I'd do one for Conte too. Antonio Conte was appointed on the 2nd of November 2021 so we've now had a full year of Conte's management. I know this forum isn't active as it used to be but how are we feeling about the Conte era? I thought I'd quote the above post from my Mourinho thread because it's interesting to compare. I think the one year mark was too early to judge his time at Spurs. He hadn't done a good or bad job and I'd still argue that was the case when he left - we were par for the course under Mourinho but his first year I was feeling quite optimistic and positive about the Mourinho era. In contrast, Conte delivered Champions League football in his first half season which was beyond any expectation really. We've just topped our Champions League group, we're third in the Premier League and yet my personal feeling is I'd like him gone. I don't know if 18 months of Mourinho followed by Nuno followed by a year of Conte is just too much but I'm just sick of watching us. So thoughts? Pro-Conte? Anti-Conte? Still a bit indifferent? The majority of our fans seem to want that new contract but I do wonder how much of it is results-dependent and how quickly the mentality might change if we go on a bad run. Some of the home atmospheres have sounded really poor / poisonous recently because of the ticket prices and style of football being served up. I'm about as #ConteOut as I can be without sacking him. I can't justify a sacking, particularly as I think he'll deliver another top 4 finish but perhaps it just makes me feel a bit better having a whinge about him. I don't think he'll win a trophy whilst he's here so his time at Spurs just feels like a complete waste for me.
As an Arsenal fan looking in I can state, when we missed the opportunity to sack Arteta and bring another manager in I really felt we missed the trick with Conte. I like him as a manager, mainly because he has immense energy and passion for the game, and I feel if he is given the chance to rebuild and progress then he is a manager deserving of a long tenure. For us, Arteta has done well and we seem to be back on track so maybe sticking to your guns and putting faith in Conte will pay off.
As a neutral, pro-Conte. Gave Spurs CL football after 2 bad years. He's improving Spurs, I think they might win a minor cup under him, but as things stand right now, Man City and maybe Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are the only teams who I think can win the PL I mean, which team isn't like that? The only exception is if they have done lots of good for the team in the past
I have similar feelings. I think he really needed to buy a creative midfielder, when we have all players available (Deki has really been missed) we have played pretty well, but with players missing the system becomes unwatchable. Being able to pivot to something other than 3-4-3 to 5-3-2 with three box to box midfielders would be nice. One thing that I think has worked out has been the relationship with Patrici and the signings made in his first year. Deki and Bentancur were excellent additions in January that really strengthened the first team, and I think it is fair to say that Perišić and Richarlison have been excellent additions. Lenglet and Forster add some seniority to the squad, which I have to say looks full of leaders now, and Bissouma looks promising but needs a bit of time.
Cannot question the results so far. The methods? I alluded to this but I think the presence of Guardiola and Klopp's football over the last 5 years is making Conte's football look a lot worse than it actually is. At 0-0, Spurs are probably the worst team to watch in the league.
Agreed, I thought we were not that bad to watch last season or even at the start of the season but ever since Kulusevski has been out, we've got no outlets up front other than Kane which makes us one dimensional, extremely boring and ineffective. Richarlison being out for the same period hasn't helped either although he probably needs some time to adjust to Conte's play to be effective. I'd like to see a bit more of Gil because he's looked lively whenever he had the chance and Spence because Emerson isn't working, especially not when Kulusevski isn't there to make space for him.
I just don't have the patience for him I don't think. I don't see the football drastically improving and that is my biggest issue with him. If it doesn't produce a trophy it's all for nothing for me. If you're not enjoying the football all season long then what's the point? If Conte doesn't deliver a trophy then it's all for nothing for me. Given the standard at the top in this country there's no guarantee we'll even win one of the "lesser cups" whilst Conte is here. I'm not going to debate whether I think you're wrong or right with those teams but it's telling that you suggest Arsenal. If Arsenal are closer to winning the Premier League than us then we've gone backwards under Conte. We've finished above Arsenal for six seasons on the bounce, including last season under Conte. They shouldn't be closing the gap quicker than us given we have a supposed World Class manager and by far better attacking players than Arsenal. To an extent but I think style of football buys you more time. As we saw under Mourinho, it didn't take long for the fans to change. Things were rosy with Spurs top of the league but Mourinho was soon pushed out of the door - not even reaching a cup final was enough to save his job. We've made some really good signings and I think that's something we've at least got right whilst Conte has been here. Most have come in and made a positive contribution in adding to the first team players we already had here. Given the players available (I know we have quite a few injuries) though I don't see why we have to be so negative in every game. It's not just about Guardiola and Klopp - Tottenham's own managers have set a standard. Redknapp was a vastly inferior manager but delivered Champions League football by having a go and it was much more enjoyable. Every game starts at 0-0 so being the worst team to watch at that point is a problem for me. It shouldn't be a slog to watch until the opening goal. I don't doubt that it's effective but I don't think the squad is as bad as it is for that to be the only way. Would this team still be effective playing on the front foot? Probably, you've got two of the best attacking talents in world football in the squad that are always going to score goals. Maybe I'm being too harsh and the football last season was better than I remember it. We're certainly capable of scoring goals and I know the stats back that up under Conte - I think we've averaged 2+ goals in his time here but I don't feel like it was that great to watch last season. I think the way the season ended skews it a little bit. Had Arsenal not thrown it away I think there'd have been questions about our approach in quite a few games last season. We're effective at what we do and were at times under Mourinho and even Nuno but I haven't found us enjoyable to watch for a few years now. I just don't think in a few years time I'll have many fond memories of Conte's entire team here. All that said, in his defence this is quite a weird season so perhaps he's deserving of the benefit of the doubt. I don't think any team is going to be able to play anywhere near their best with the schedule. This first half of the season in particular is just about results and then hoping we come back better after the World Cup. Unless the football improves I don't think I'm ever going to warm to Conte though.
Out of the Europa Conference League groups (don't personally blame him but the defeat in Slovenia must be one of the club's worst ever results?) Knocked out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough. Knocked out of the League Cup by Forest. Not an encouraging start in the cups for serial winner Conte.
I get the feeling Conte isn't at all interested in much that happens before the World Cup. He seems to be hedging his bets on conserving energy and fitness for after the WC when he hopes other teams will suffer more. I suspect we'll see us go a bit more full-throttle after the new year, or at least I hope we do, because I thought the walking football thing was for the over 50s.
That's my only bit of sympathy for Conte really. It is a weird first half of the season and I expect things will be better in the second half of the season. A cup run would have bought some goodwill though. Far from the point that his job is in danger but we're in a similar rut that we hit under Mourinho. Break might well be a good thing for us. Hopefully beat Leeds beforehand.
The squad is clearly an issue. Any team will struggle if 3 of their 4 first choice forwards are out tbf. But then I was surprised he went as defensive as he did against Liverpool, and it was only when he got another progressive player on to help Kane that things started to properly turn. I thought he should have started Gil. I don't get why he is used quite as sparingly as he is, given the injury issues. I guess the issues would mount for Conte if they started dropping more points in the "should win" games. They've lost to Liverpool, Newcastle, Man United, Arsenal in the league. Newcastle are in red hot form, so you can somewhat excuse it. But then it was at home. Then 2 draws away at Chelsea and West Ham, both tough games. The break makes it hard to really read too much, but if this was a normal season then the next 4 would be a big indicator of whether this is a blip - or a bigger problem. Leeds, Brentford, Villa, Palace.
*Other than Liverpool. (Without Nunez, Salah and Diaz, we have Elliott, Firmino and Jota, more than capable replacements (other than maybe Elliott))
Don't care mate, the football is worse than under Nuno and being persistently relegation standard in the first half is just not good enough.
It might not be good or attractive football but saying it's worse than Nuno is just utter shit. At least we usually play a good 45 mins under Conte, which is infuriating because it shows this group of players can do better but with Nuno we were creating absolutely nothing, zero chances in several games in a row. We were relegation standard for an entire month with no exception.
You mean you don't enjoy the current style of play combined with his constant complaining to the press of how he may or may not return to the club next year? I'd guess Juventus move on from Allegri soon enough and Conte goes back to Italy, which will be interesting considering how many of the players brought into Spurs are former Juve players.
LOL- you're not wrong about that. i used to come on this forum every day but i think covid killed it stone dead... i'll probably post once or twice a month these days. contew did deliver top 4 and in pricnciple has done a good job so far... that being said some of the football has been dier this seasson. i feel we r very lucky to be where we are in the league at the moment.
I was Conte out four months ago and we've been a shambles since. Out of the cups to Forest, Sheffield United and an average AC Milan side.
His time is doomed surely. I’m not sure he will get sacked, so we can only hope that, now we only have a game a week, we can scrape into the top 4.
