Antonio Conte had some heated remarks for his Tottenham players and our club after the draw with Southampton, and while not wrong, he was only half right.
It has been a long and disappointing season for Tottenham Hotspur. Cristian Romero aside, the season will end with zero trophies, even though most of the squad competed for five if we include the World Cup. And as if things could not get worse, we all know that the paper-thin hold on fourth place in the Premier League means it likely will get worse still this season. With this the backdrop for the remainder of the campaign, none of us should be surprised by the predictable performance and results, right down to the late penalty kick. That said, just because the outcome is predictable doesn’t mean that is what we deserve or should accept, and that is what Conte got right in his conference.
What Conte is right about with Tottenham Hotspur
Anyone that has followed Spurs for 10 years or more has already seen this story play out, and the question is, do we catch enough breaks or not for fourth place? And while that is the best-case scenario at this point – fourth place – how the finish happens matters.
We have seen Tottenham Hotspur no-show for far too long at moments big and small. Spurs have been losing to clubs that sometimes should not be on the same pitch, yet that is how Tottenham plays as if they are the fortunate ones to be there, scared to grab what should be theirs.
We should see more from the Spurs’ players
The current lack of heart and effort is the same thing that led to the loss of Pochettino and Mourinho before him, as players down-tooled and did not give what was required to get the desired result.
And frankly, why should the players do more? The club does not demand it. They make more than most of us can dream and are not accountable for any results. Pay for performance is meant for people like teachers, not professional athletes.
At N17, players stick around for ages if they are comfortable with comfort or leave when they want more or speak out.
Conte nailed it for the stale no-show performances we have seen far too many times from many of these same Tottenham players; we deserve more and need more and simply are not getting it.
However, in his rant about the team, he failed to address the other elephant in the room, which was not his contract or lack thereof, but the formation.
Conte made clear in his comments he was not talking about tactics, strategy, or even physical ability; rather, he was questioning the heart and effort of his team, as he should. That said, it may be the tactics that are making the team lose heart.
We saw under Mourinho before him and again now under Conte that Tottenham Hotspur is not a great team parking the bus against lesser competition.
Yes, if Spurs are playing Manchester City or Liverpool, and they park the bus, defend their hearts out, and win, it is something to be proud of. However, when the team sits deep against a bottom-half club, let alone the worst team in the division, something is wrong, and for this, Conte was wrong on Saturday, during and after the game.
Tottenham brought the results upon themselves Saturday
Up 3-1 on a team you have already beaten 4-1 previously in the season with 20 minutes left; any team I’ve been on is thinking, can we get five today? Well, not Tottenham Hotspur.
Instead of putting their foot on their throats and seeing out the win by being the aggressor, Spurs dropped into a 5-4-1 formation and let the worst team in the league take the game to them.
Dropping deep like that against a team like Southampton is not a strategy for success; it is running away from it and playing scared.
So while Conte is questioning his players’ hearts, I think we need to question his a bit. Why is Tottenham running and hiding, trying to preserve a two-goal lead and seeing out a victory?
Spurs can learn from Arsenal.
Arsenal was in a similar situation on Sunday, where they were up 3-1 in the second half against Crystal Palace. Instead of opening the door and giving Palace a chance, Arsenal controlled the ball, scored again, and ended the Eagle’s hope.
Spurs were not trying to hold off Real Madrid in the Champions League Final Saturday; they were seeking a professional win against a bottom-half side. Instead, they hid behind the ball and got what they deserved.
Maybe again, Conte was right; Tottenham’s players are afraid of success, but with his decisions on Saturday, so too was Conte.