As Christian Eriksen found out after swapping Tottenham Hotspur for Inter Milan two-and-a-half years ago, as far as Antonio Conte is concerned, the system is king.
He was never going to alter a tried-and-trusted tactical blueprint just to suit one player; Even one as talented as teh Dane. Eriksen, then, had a decision to make. Adapt or die. He chose the latter.
“In the current system I play a little deeper, so I’m more involved in defensive situations. I have to be ready for tackles or to get the ball back,” Eriksen told DAZN back in 2021, swapping his favoured number ten role at Spurs for a deep-lying position at the San Siro.
“Obviously, I usually played more advanced. I had to adapt. Little by little I learned and now I know very well how I have to play.
“Conte and I had to know each other more. Now he knows me and I know him better. This makes it easier to understand how to play certain games.”
Could Ruslan Malinovskyi adapt to Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur?
Should Ruslan Malinovskyi become the latest in a series of high-profile arrivals at Tottenham Hotspur this summer, Atalanta’s Ukraine international may have to take a leaf out of Christian Eriksen’s book.
According to TuttoAtalanta, Spurs have emerged as the most likely destination for the stylish, left-footed attacking midfielder; Overtaking fellow suitors Nottingham Forest. And this is not the first time Malinovskyi has caught Antonio Conte’s eye. According to Calciomercato, Inter Milan considered signing the former Genk star when Conte was still at the helm of the Nerazzuri.
In the end, however, Inter walked away, deciding that there was no obvious place for Malinovskyi in the manager’s rigid 3-5-2 formation; A system that has been the backbone of his success for a decade now.
Where does he fit in?
Now Atalanta, under the free-wheeling Gian Piero Gasperini, have often employed a similar tactical shape. But Malinovskyi’s best form – during the second half of 2020/21 – came after Gasperini had switched to a 4-2-3-1; Installing the 29-year-old on the right hand side, allowing him to cut inside to often devastating effect with his wand of a left boot while scoring a flurry of often-spectacular long-range goals.
Per Breaking the Lines, Malinoskyi dropped out of the XI as soon as Gasperini reverted back to a three-man defence.
Do reports linking Malinovskyi with Tottenham suggest that Conte believes the Atalanta ace can adapt to his system after all? Perhaps he feels the Ukrainian can perform a similar role to Dejan Kulusevski; An inverted right-sided midfielder. Or maybe he could slot in alongside Yves Bissouma and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in a deeper role.
Either way, as Eriksen will tell you, Malinovskyi should not expect Conte to adapt to him. It’s him who must adapt to Conte.
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