and Conte.
Another big game failure for Conte, against a top side, as they again capitulated in the North London Derby, with the usual dull performance and stupid mistakes.
It’s Catch 1882. Conte won’t sign and commit to the club unless the club sign players and commit to him. But Levy won’t sign players and commit to the manager if he doesn’t sign an extensin and commit to the club.
So yet again Spurs are left in the Levy Limbo.
The Conte apologists were out in force and yes everyone the shift the blame to is also at fault. Yes some of the players aren’t up to it, yes Levy and ENIC shortchange everyone and are ultimately responsible but Conte needs to take his fair share of this failure and the failure of this season. His failures against the top 6… it was a win percentage of just 17% before this game.
This game just summed Conte’s failings.
How many times does Conte have to watch his midfield two being overrun and outmanned by an opposition with three or four in there? Then he watches it not working during a game and doesn’t change it. Then I suppose he’s watched Emerson Royal being rubbish, week in week out, and somehow thinks this week it’s going to be different. Something about insanity there.
Well, at least this week we didn’t have to watch Royal having rings run around him all game. No, Conte gave with one hand and didn’t pick Royal in the starting XI. But he then took with the other hand as he picked Sessegnon.
Conte’s logic must have been we need someone who can run and do so with a bit of pace, to match up against Saka. The only problem is you then pick someone who can run but can’t defend and can’t attack. It’s a false economy that was shown very early on and then for the opening goal. It’s Kyle Walker syndrome. Can run, can’t play football and hasn’t got the brains god gave a pigeon.
Spurs started the brightest and had a couple of good attacking chances. Unfortunately both attacks relied on Sessegnon delivering a cross and both times he made a right mess of it. Then the opener. Sessegnon making absolutely no attempt to stop Saka getting a cross in.
What followed was classic Hugo, as he palmed the ball into his own net, looking totally befuddled as to what that thing was that came towards him. How many times in a big game does the Hugo Howler make an appearance? It’s not like it was even his first of the game, as Spurs did that fannying about at the back routine that Conte seems quite happy with, as they dropped off and deep after that initial good start.
And from there the first half was all just the visitors. I mean they actually got into the other half, got a free kick there and with a couple of passes it was back at Hugo’s feet. it’s just watching Southgate’s England. Dull and depressing. There’s no life in the first half of any games. There’s no press, there’s no movement. Now, as I’ve said before, their either playing to Contes game plan or they’re totally ignoring it.
Yes, there are a number of players there that have to be shipped out but if Conte is such a top class manager, such an elite coach, then he surely should be getting more out those at his disposal. He can’t just sit back and say I want more money spent.
Some second halves have shown that these players can play. Can press. Can pass to each other. Can cause problems for the opposition. Can score. So why can’t he get that out of them from the beginning of the game?
They showed a little life after the break but it was too little, too late and it didn’t exactly last. As Conte sat there and watched it not working and did nothing. Nothing for 70 minutes of it not working. Yes, I’d like a manager who is a little more proactive but then even better a manager who doesn’t have to be. A manager who can see that 2 against three or four doesn’t work in your favour.
The second goal came just after the half hour and of course it came after a warning. They’d had a shot from midfield, that Hugo saved, after no one had closed down the shooter, just let him have a free shot. This time, exactly the same except for Hugo’s slow descent to not get anywhere near the ball. All from a hump up the park that with one pass that had them four on three and the scorer left all on his lonesome to have another free shot.
Conte eventually made those changes but as it went to more a 4-4-2, it still kept that central pair being overrun. He then made like for like changes, Sessegnon finally making way for Perisic, with 15 minutes to go, Sarr making way for Bissouma. This again made no difference. He waited until the 88th minute to introduce another attacking player, but again it was like for like, Gil for Kulusevski.
And with that final change, came a classic Conte substitution. Davies replaced Lenglet, again like for like and again a change that made no sense and would have absolutely no impact on a team that needed to score. Classic Conte. How many times have we seen him replace one defender with another, when Spurs are in need of a goal?
As Spurs lose at home to Woolwich for the first time in 8 years, with a performance that matches the away fixture but is even worse, because this is at home.
And as everyone watches this game unfold, how does that help Spurs in signing new players? I mean, who wants to join a team that so easily turned over as this one? As Spurs watch players being snapped up by others. Watching FC. Yeah, got all the targets but Levy lowballs all the offers and is looking for cheaper options to quality players, that cost that bit much for him him.
14 points behind them in the table, they top, and they’ve got a game in hand, while Spurs play City midweek. What chances that Guardiola’s side will lose a third game in a row? Very slim, I would say. What chances they’ll love packing their midfield against Conte’s pair?
Of course that’s if Conte is still there. If he still is how long will Kane be.
As I Tweeted during the game once Kane has beaten Jimmy Greaves’s goal scoring record for the club, he has no reason to stay at the club and with one year left on his contract Levy will be looking at that final chance to make some money off him.
So Kane will go, more than likely with no trophy to his name and Spurs will have wasted having this incredible goal scorer. When the chance was there, Levy ruined it.