Positives for Tottenham Hotspur heading into the season

Richarlison is a big addition to the team, but possibly the most important addition by season’s end will be Ivan Perisic.

Positive #2 – Perisic is a pro’s pro and plays for Spurs

Signing a 33-year-old winger on a free transfer is not often a move that turns heads; however, Spurs did just that in signing Perisic from Inter Milan.

A champion in Germany, Italy, and on the continent, Perisic is a pro’s pro. With nine major trophies in his case as a club player, Ivan is a winner. As part of his native Croatian national team, Perisic just participated in this third qualifying campaign and will play in his third World Cup this winter.

Perisic did not come to the Premier League to count down the time to his retirement; he came for Conte and a chance to win.

Although he has played limited minutes in pre-season, Perisic still has incredible feet. He has a deft touch and is as ambidextrous as Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, with a shot nearly lethal.

When people say Spurs did not add enough creativity into the attack, there is where I think Conte looks at the Croatian and feels he may be okay. A heady player who can slide in a pass and cross into a basket, Persisic makes Tottenham a better team.

Positive #3 – Tottenham got an entire Conte camp

I can understand that last year it was just too much. The pressure would have been intense, and the comparisons non-stop had Conte been the coach who replaced Jose Mourinho, especially after winning the scudetto with Inter.

Instead, Conte came to Spurs midseason and took over for Nuno Espirito Santo, bringing a new attitude and approach, particularly regarding fitness.

As the season wore on last year, you could see the Tottenham players getting stronger throughout the campaign, particularly after going down to one competition. Better fitness was not accidental; it was all part of Conte’s plan and approach.

Conte had his pre-season with his signings in tow and no dead weight at camp – even if some players are still on the books.

Reports from the South Korean tour were about how brutal the training sessions were, with even the fittest collapsing as the Italian put his players through their paces.

It seems ridiculous to outsiders, but just part and parcel of a Conte training camp and Spurs should be better for it.

With a deeper team, full of players he trusts, emerging from a Conte pre-season, Tottenham is ready for success.