Tottenham fans have seemingly given up on Antonio Conte after Wednesday’s 0-0 draw, and it appears Ryan Mason may have also lost faith.
What’s the story?
Well, the 31-year-old is part of the Italian’s backroom staff in N17 alongside Cristian Stellini.
Therefore, you would expect Mason to be on the same page as Conte when it comes to tactical decisions, but even he seemed baffled by what the 53-year-old did in the 83rd minute against AC Milan.
As Davinson Sanchez prepared to come on after Cristian Romero received a red card, footage shows Mason looking around in disbelief, before gesturing to Harry Kane with his arms out as if to ask what exactly is going on.
It was a feeling shared by thousands inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tottenham needed a goal to level the score with just seven minutes remaining, after suffering a 1-0 defeat in the first leg at the San Siro.
Despite that, Conte bizarrely withdrew Dejan Kulusevski – one of Tottenham’s most dangerous forwards – in place of a defender.
It would have made sense if Spurs were the ones who found themselves 1-0 up, but to make that change when in desperate need of a goal is truly baffling.
Mason right to question Conte at Tottenham
We wouldn’t want to jump to any conclusions, and Mason may have been questioning something else at that moment in time – however, his reaction really is telling, and he truly seems to be shocked by the substitution.
If that is what happened, Mason is spot on.
He, in addition to Kane and other senior Tottenham players, should be asking questions of Conte after that ridiculous 83rd minute switch, which suggested he had no intention of trying to win the Round of 16 tie.
As Tottenham fans bellowed out their Mauricio Pochettino chant shortly after Sanchez entered the fray, it feels like the beginning of the end for Conte in N17.
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