Jamie O’Hara admits he ‘could not believe’ Antonio Conte brought Davinson Sanchez off the bench for Dejan Kulusevski late on during Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League exit at the hands of AC Milan, speaking to talkSPORT (8 March, 11.30pm).
24 hours earlier, London rivals Chelsea produced a much-improved performance just when their under-fire head coach needed it; That 2-0 triumph over Borussia Dortmund potentially lighting a belated fire under the Graham Potter era.
There was to be no repeat of that at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednedsay night.
Tottenham went into the game needing at least one goal, and barely created a chance worthy of the name. Just two shots of target over the 90 minutes. And, for O’Hara, Conte’s decision to replace one of his most creative talents with centre-half – with around ten minutes to go – summed up another miserable night in a season full of them.
Tottenham Hotspur crash out of Champions League vs AC Milan
“It is crazy,” the former Spurs midfielder sighs. “I couldn’t believe he did that.”
Conte’s hard, you could argue, may have been forced by Cristian Romero’s reckless red card; the World Cup winning centre-half sending Theo Hernandez flying into the London sky with the most ludicrous of challenges.
But still, at this stage in proceedings, you might as well go down fighting. Better to try and score and risk being hit on the counter than to stumble out of the competition with a barely-audible whimper.
Conte’s contract expires in June with no extension in sight. A man who has picked up silverware almost everywhere he’s been now looks certain to leave Tottenham without even a Carabao Cup or a Conference League crown to show for his time at this success-starved club.
“I have a contract with Tottenham,” Conte said at his post-Milan press conference (Independent).
“And then Tottenham know very well which is my thoughts. At the end of the season, we will meet and then make a decision (on my future).
“Now we have to finish the season. I have a contract until June, and I am happy to work with Tottenham. The club knows very well which is my vision and my thoughts about the situation.”
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