Alessandro Del Piero has claimed that Antonio Conte is being ‘double-faced’ at Tottenham Hotspur, at this moment in time, as he told ESPN.
The Italian legend worked under Conte at Juventus and thinks, on the one side, he is ‘very happy’ because of where Tottenham currently are, but on the other, it’s ‘very tough’ for him because of how much he demands.
Last week, Spurs were 2-0 down to Bournemouth, only to battle back and secure all three points right at the death, it also saw them avoid three Premier League defeats on the bounce.
But they were on another rollercoaster on Tuesday night when they secured their passage to the knockout stages of the Champions League by beating Marseille, after coming from behind.
Which way will Tottenham go now? Up or down? They were beaten the last time they played a Premier League game on home soil, and whilst Liverpool are all over the place themselves, they shouldn’t be underestimated.
Nonetheless, Del Piero shared his thoughts on Conte’s mood in north London, as the £288k-a-week man prepares for another big game.
“I think he’s a double-faced guy, at this moment,” said Del Piero. “One side, he’s very happy about what’s going on, for two reasons.
“He brought Tottenham from far away last year. Reaching the Champions League. And now going through the group stages in this way, especially when you have a team that performed that way when you win games at the last second of the game, it means that every player believes in what you say and in themselves. This is a perfect situation for a coach.
“Then, on the other side of the face, he needs to keep going to stay fully concentrated. It’s very tough and will continue to be tough. It’s his way to manage things.
“At this moment, it’s a moment of reflection for him. When you finish the group stages, it’s a big step. And now he can concentrate on the Premier League, in the best way possible.”
TOTTENHAM’S CHANCE TO PULL AWAY
Last season, Conte’s side beat champions Manchester City at the Etihad with a last-minute Harry Kane winner and also remained unbeaten against Liverpool.
Given that they were the top two dogs in the country, then it was some feat, performance and results from the club.
As many would have expected, they are six points behind leaders Manchester City after Erling Haaland’s late penalty winner against Fulham on Saturday.
But they are a staggering 10 points ahead of Liverpool, and to think that could become 13 points+ heading to the World Cup, would be pretty frightening if you are repping the red side of Merseyside.
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