Some members of the Tottenham Hotspur squad believe that Antonio Conte’s outburst following the Premier League defeat at Burnley was made with summer signings in mind, as reported by The Athletic.
Now, this would not be the first time a frustrated head coach has resorted to mind games in an attempt to convince the club to put their hands in their pocket.
How many times have we seen a coach fail to fill up his bench, apparently to draw attention to what he deems to be a rather lightweight squad? That’s just one such example.
But as Conte fronted up to the media at Turf Moor – Spurs’ fourth defeat in five league games the hangover from Haciendan hell following Saturday’s wild celebrations at the Etihad – you’d be forgiven for wondering if the irate Italian had already drawn up a first draft of his resignation letter.
“I don’t know, (maybe) I’m not so good,” Conte sighs, via The Guardian. “It’s very frustrating.
“I’m trying to do everything to change the situation but the situation is not changing. The reality, from the last five games, is we have to pay attention to not fight for the relegation zone. This is the truth.
“I want to try to improve the situation and also to make assessment with the club. Because if we continue in this way, maybe we’ll finish 10th, 12th, 13th.”
Will Antonio Conte be Tottenham manager next season?
According to The Athletic, some in the Tottenham dressing room are wondering whether Conte’s comments, rather than a pre-curser to a premature departure, were actually an attempt to remind Daniel Levy that, unless some serious investment is made in the off-season, Spurs will continue to choke on Chelsea and Liverpool’s dust.
Conte certainly didn’t hold back during the January window. He made it clear on numerous occasions that he was far from impressed by the lack of new signings.
Yes, Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur arrived on deadline day. But only after Barcelona and Liverpool had snatched Adama Traore and Luis Diaz from under Spurs’ nose.
And a warning to Levy; Conte walked away from Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan due to concerns over the club’s recruitment plans. If he sees no room for progression at Spurs, he won’t hesitate to do the same again.
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