Speaking on The View from The Lane Podcast, Charlie Eccleshare has claimed that a number of Tottenham players have felt unsettled this season about Antonio Conte’s future at Spurs and the constant speculation surrounding the Italian.
Almost as soon as the former Chelsea boss was appointed on an 18-month contract there were rumours about the gaffer walking away due to Spurs’ lack of ambition, and sadly, those flames have only been fanned in recent weeks.
Indeed, there has been lots of speculation about a potential move to PSG, and with Conte’s contract entering its final year, there’s a lot of uncertainty on that front.
What’s been said?
Eccleshare claimed that Conte’s situation has made some Spurs players feel unsettled.
“Antonio Conte is part of the problem here, not just tactically and strategically. If Rangnick’s status at United is a part of the problem, then Conte having a short contract, which may or may not be his choice, is giving the players an out,” The host said.
“This is something that at various points of the season, I’ve been told has been a bit unsettling for the players. Think back to the Burnley meltdown, a lot of the players woke up to reports saying we don’t know if the manager will be there next season, and the short-term contract means that we certainly don’t know beyond next season,” Eccleshare said.
No sense of unity
We can absolutely understand why this has been unsettling for the Spurs players, there can’t be much of a sense of unity when your manager is always being linked away.
Part of being a successful football team is exactly that, being a team, but when your manager’s heart is, supposedly, not 100% in it, it’s hard to be fully motivated.
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Spurs’ last two poor results have come on the back of more speculation around Conte and PSG.
Whether or not the Italian stays or goes, a certain element of damage has already been done.
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