Why Tottenham Hotspur is not the same team Mourinho coached
By Aaron Coe
How Conte has improved Spurs from Mourinho
Eric Dier is the fifth shared starter from Mourinho’s final game and Conte’s preferred XI. Dier has undoubtedly been one of the success stories under Conte.
Although Dier led with aplomb under Mourinho, he was also mistake-prone under the Portuguese coach. As Spurs lost lead after lead, Dier was often one of the players in the middle of the action.
And while the English defender has not been perfect under Conte, he has been a steadier defensive presence. Dier is clearly in better shape but is also better on the ball, too, both attributes you can attribute to coaching.
If you also consider Ben Davies‘s growth defensively for Tottenham as another example, it is evident that Conte has added his bit to the players to lead to improved success.
Of course, coaching up a couple of players and having steady contributors is part of the story. However, it has been the work of Fabio Paratici in three key areas that differentiates the Tottenham team Mourinho will face Saturday from the one he coached.
Continued…