Possession definitely not nine-tenths of the law for Conte’s Tottenham

Antonio Conte has won 10 matches in all competitions as Lilywhites’ manager, five of which — including yesterday’s 3-1 win over Brighton — occurring when Tottenham have less of the ball. 

It’s an interesting stat that typifies part of Conte’s overarching philosophy. It doesn’t matter how much of the ball you have, just what you do when you get it.

It’s a simple enough thought, one, like the old adage goes, that is far easier said — well, written in this case — than done.

But under Conte, Tottenham are enjoying appreciable success in matches they are out-possessed. Soak up the pressure, contain, remain organized, stoic, turn the ball over via an intense, high-pressure press, then counter with lethal force.

It’s what Tottenham accomplished expertly in their fourth round FA Cup victory last evening. Spurs managed just 43 percent of the ball at home to Brighton. At first glance — and historically — that stat would probably induce cold sweats or, for those with a sensitive gag reflex, volatile regurgitation.

But if you’re starting to understand Conte’s version of Spurs, you’ll have a contrary reaction, one full of promise and anticipation.

Tottenham were also known for their lethal counter attack in previous regimes. Jose Mourinho was renowned for losing the possession battle, hoping to counter with ruthless efficacy.

Conte’s Tottenham content to concede possession to lesser teams

But unlike Mourinho, Conte’s Tottenham is satisfied, even content, to concede the possession battle to perceived lesser teams the likes of Brighton, Norwich, Brentford, West Ham (yes, that includes you, Hammers) and Leeds. All five teams had more of the ball than Conte’s side at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

If you said that to a number of mates at the pub, conventional wisdom suggests you’d be faced with a slew of raised eyebrows. You’d want to follow that head turner up by ensuring everyone is fully aware that Spurs won all five of those matches by a combined margin of 12-3.

And therein lies the magic of Conte’s style.

For large portions of last evening’s match, Graham Potter’s side bossed possession, knocking it about with aplomb. Doesn’t hurt that Potter has a penchant for possession. His sides brim with confidence on the ball and have an impressive ability to play an aesthetically pleasing, tic-tac-toe brand of football.

But Conte, nor Spurs, was at all phased by Brighton’s keep-away panache. In fact, it favoured Conte with the match transpiring precisely how he drew it up.

Historically, particularly at the end of Mauricio Pochettion’s reign and for most of Mourinho’s tenure, Tottenham endured a hell of a time trying to breakdown the same aforementioned lesser teams.

Spurs were tragically unable to crack the park-the-bus code, often failing to create a decisive moment. Lots of the ball, no result.

Spurs were facing that exact scenario against Watford on New Year’s Day. In their second most dominant match on the ball (the most dominant, unsurprisingly, came against Morcambe FC), Spurs enjoyed 75 percent of possession, yet would have left with nothing had Davinson Sanchez not scored a last-minute header.

So isn’t it refreshing to see Spurs sit back, structured, patient and, for the most part, unbothered by not having the ball. Because they know the wait will be worth it, and so too does the unconventional, yet wondrously effective, Italian gaffer.