Paul Merson believes Tottenham Hotspur’s defensive record just isn’t good enough considering Antonio Conte’s tactical approach.
Merson has been speaking to Sky Sports after seeing Spurs crumble away at Southampton this weekend.
Spurs were 3-1 up heading into the final stages of the game, only to give up two goals and gift Southampton a 3-3 draw.
Antonio Conte then launched a stunning tirade on his own players, accusing them of being selfish and not being able to cope with pressure.
Conte noted that the club hasn’t won anything for a long time and if he wasn’t totally sure to be leaving Spurs this summer, he surely is now.
Merson has now offered his take on the Conte situation, suggesting that Conte’s rage has been a long time coming.
Merson highlighted that Conte players with three defenders and two holding midfielders yet are still leaking goals – something he thinks ‘shouldn’t happen’.
The Arsenal legend added that Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski look like different players this season and blames Conte for their dips in form.
“This has been waiting to happen. It’s not spur of the moment,” said Merson. “It’s a build-up and Antonio Conte has exploded. He’s had enough. You’ve got to say the blame lies with the manager because of the way he sets up. There are only seven teams in the league who have conceded more goals and they play a back three, with two holding midfielders. That shouldn’t happen. The idea of playing three at the back is to make you more solid.”
“If I’m a Tottenham fan I’m thinking we’ve got one of the best strikers in world football in Harry Kane, two wingers in Heung-Min Son and Dejan Kulusevski who were unplayable last season, you have to play to their strengths. Those two are shadows of the players they were – that’s got to be down to the manager. Richarlison never gets a game. The plan is flawed. They set up not to lose, rather than setting up to win games of football. You can’t have that, what just happened. That rant should happen in the dressing room, not in front of the world. This is what happens in management – emotions run high. He isn’t fussed if he gets the sack so he can say what he wants,” he added.
Antonio Conte is surely leaving Tottenham
This situation surely ends one way – with Conte leaving Tottenham.
It looked like Conte would be leaving Spurs anyway and a return to Italy seems likely after a testing season for Conte on a personal level.
There is now surely no way back for Conte at Tottenham after slating his players.
Conte wants Tottenham to be in a position to win trophies but they just aren’t.
It’s surely better for Tottenham to part ways with Conte and secure a manager more suited to their standing.
Going for managers like Jose Mourinho and Conte – managers who expect to win regularly and bring in proven players – just isn’t working.
Conte’s style of play also hasn’t exactly dazzled Tottenham fans and having failed to get everybody at Spurs on side, it’s time for Conte to leave and make way for a replacement.
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