Garth Crooks has slammed Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte’s recent comments in his column on BBC Sport.
Conte speaks out
Conte suggested a recent meeting with the Premier League was a complete waste of time, as he looked to outline the difficulty of Tottenham’s schedule.
Spurs have had numerous games postponed, which means that they are now facing a fixture pile-up.
But Crooks had little sympathy with the Tottenham boss and suggested that the Premier League should not be pandering to managerial opinion.
“To hear Antonio Conte adding to the drama by stating that talking to the Premier League about this issue was like talking to a brick wall was not helpful,” he said.
“Only to then go on to choreograph Tottenham’s 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace in what was probably their best performance of the season, followed by a point at Southampton where VAR robbed them of victory having outplayed the home side, making his comments look utterly ridiculous.
“What is clear is that clubs fighting for domestic and international honours or even a top-four place feel their impressive squads are at breaking point. With their resources now stretched clubs want to retain the advantage their deep pockets have afforded them by dictating the schedule to suit their needs.
“The Premier League should stick to their guns. The clubs sold the schedule to the broadcasters a long time ago and had no problem taking the television money then.
“Now they must keep their part of the bargain and fulfil their fixtures, even in difficult circumstances.”
Conte has backing
Conte is far from the only manager to complain about the fixture scheduling in England at this moment in time.
Jurgen Klopp, Ralph Rangnick and Thomas Tuchel have also spoken out about the busy Festive period.
The games over Christmas are a tradition in English football, but there is no question that the Premier League are coming under more pressure than ever before to give players more time off between matches.
Thankfully for Tottenham their demanding schedule is, perhaps, not quite as daunting as it once was.
Spurs do at least have momentum on their side and they are playing some excellent football right now.
Tottenham remain unbeaten in domestic competition since Conte’s arrival.
And even though their most recent draw with 10 man Southampton was a disappointment, Spurs are now firmly in top four contention.
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