Chris Sutton has shared how he has been left baffled by what he has been hearing from Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte in recent times.
The former striker stated that, after Spurs were beaten by Manchester United last week, Conte claimed that his team were ‘scared’ and he found those comments ‘amazing’, as he told the Monday Night Club.
Sutton added that Conte is proving to be a ‘whinger’, after his team were beaten for the second time in as many days on Sunday when Eddie Howe’s side turned up to north London and secured all three points.
It hasn’t been a good few weeks for the Italian, who despite his team sitting third in the Premier League table and top of their Champions League group, is finding that a lot of criticism is being aimed at him.
Conte isn’t known to play this all-out attacking brand of football or the style a certain Mauricio Pochettino likes to play, either way, fans are voicing their concerns about what they are seeing out on the pitch, despite the results.
Nonetheless, what has caught Sutton’s eyes are the comments from Conte, after his team were previously beaten by Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League and then later on against Manchester United.
“Conte said after the Manchester United game ‘his team were a bit scared’,” said Sutton. “I mean, really? That’s an amazing thing to say.
“He is a bit of a whinger, like or not, what he has won in the past. There is always an excuse there. He has been in a year and ‘we have only just started’ or something along those lines. Come on! He has been in a year.
“His team have started to take shape. If you ask Spurs fans, they have always demanded a certain brand of football and, at this moment, that brand of football isn’t there, so it’s a concern.
“When they lost the away game (against Sporting) some of Conte’s words after the game, ‘oh, Sporting have been a Champions League team for so many years. We haven’t and we got knocked out in the conference last season’. You are thinking ‘blimey’. Talking about budget-wise, Spurs should be getting out of this Champions League group comfortably with the players they have at their disposal. That’s a bit of a cop-out from Conte.”
CONTE IS A RESULTS MAN
This is where things get interesting, Conte will feel his team needs more backing in the transfer market, despite spending a shed load in the summer.
Spurs fans will feel that more is needed, in terms of style of play, out on the pitch, but as he has proven over the years, he delivers results and trophies.
It will be interesting if Conte does ask for more money and what type of response it will be met with because he does have 12 months left to run on his contract.
Yes, that can be extended by 12 months, but surely if this is a long-term project, then he signs on the dotted line? But he’s not the only one. Harry Kane is also entering that terrority of whether he does or doesn’t sign a new deal.
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