Antonio Conte believes some players are happy to stay in the comfort zone and settle for mediocrity, no matter who is the coach; Conte also believes if the culture at a club is not right then the club is never going to be successful.
Tuesday 28 March 2023 08:42, UK
A decision on Antonio Conte's Tottenham future is set to be made soon, with a growing sense it will be difficult for him to continue as head coach following his outburst after Saturday's 3-3 draw at Southampton.
Sources close to Conte insist he did not speak out on Saturday because he wants Tottenham to sack him. Instead, his comments reflected what he has felt for a long time and he did not intend to attack the players or the board.
The Italian's contract is up at the end of this season but there is a sense he could depart the club much sooner.
Conte is at home in Italy for a few days during the international break. He has always prided himself on quickly building a winning mentality wherever he has worked and he is very disappointed that he has not been able to do this at Spurs.
Conte believes some players are happy to stay in their comfort zone and settle for mediocrity, no matter who is the coach. He also believes if the culture at a club is not right then the club is never going to be successful.
Last season Tottenham finished strongly to overtake Arsenal and this season was supposed to be one where they built on that. That has not happened and instead, Arsenal players have learned and developed, whereas Spurs have settled for mediocrity.
Arsenal bounced back from last season's disappointing end with hunger and ambition, signing players with a winning mentality to improve their squad.
On the other hand, Tottenham went backwards. There has been no improvement in mentality, attitude and hunger. New players have brought problems or complaints and the players' attitude has always been an issue at Spurs.
Tottenham do not play again for a fortnight and that has given chairman Daniel Levy a short period of time to decide whether he should take any action against Conte.
Players and staff are currently on a pre-scheduled two days off and will report back to the training ground on Tuesday, which would have been the case regardless of the result.
Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher said he believed Conte wants to be sacked following the Italian's rant, while Jamie Redknapp feels the Italian's position is becoming untenable.
Sky Sports' Gary Neville said he would "keep him right where he is and make him do his job".
Sky Sports News reported earlier this month that Levy is under huge pressure to reappoint Mauricio Pochettino as Spurs boss, with several players and staff pleading with the Argentine to return and reinvigorate the club.
Tottenham's collapse at St Mary's capped off a miserable March in which they were dumped out of both the FA Cup and the Champions League to leave them without a trophy since 2008.
Tottenham winger Dejan Kulusevski insists he is "absolutely" happy to continue playing under Conte and says he respects his head coach's comments.
Asked if he was offended by Conte's words, Kulusevski said: "No, because I know what I bring to the team every day. I know I prepare myself to do as well as I can and that's why I can always look at myself in the mirror.
"Sometimes I know I don't play good enough and I can take responsibility for that, but what he said is for him, that's his words, but I respect him."
The Sweden international was brought to Spurs by Conte in January 2022 and played an important role in helping the club to finish in the top four last season.
He added: "He's helped me a lot during my career, so he's still a very important man in our club and in our world.
"He was very disappointed, as we were as players, and we have to accept that. We lost in the cups and went out of the Champions League, so I know we have to sometimes be sad and angry, and that's how he took it. Somebody else would take it another way. We have to respect his words."
Asked if he is happy to keep working with Conte, Kulusevski replied: "Yes, absolutely."
Kulusevski's team-mate Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also responded to Conte's incendiary comments, describing himself as an "honest player" and calling on the manager to be "more precise" with his criticism.
The Tottenham midfielder said: "I think we've all seen it [Conte's comments]. He gave a very honest and very open press conference.
"It is because he is not satisfied. You don't do that if you've reached the quarter-final of the Champions League and if you're in the semi-final of the FA Cup. It comes from the fact that, unfortunately, we did not get the results we as a team and club wanted.
"We are still where we want and need to be in the Premier League but yes, it's hard.
"I understand that if you want to be successful as a team, you need 11 men who are committed to a project and a culture but I think he has to elaborate on how he feels before you as a player can start measuring and weighing.
"The coach has not been satisfied and that is what I take from it. You do what you can to please him.
"What I do know about myself is that I am an honest player. I am a player who always gives 100 per cent of myself for the team.
"If that's how he sees it then you have to be a little more precise in order for you as a player to take it to heart."
Analysis from Sky Sports News reporter Michael Bridge:
"What a few days at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
"Despite Conte's rant, he wasn't expecting to be sacked and what is emerging now is that could be very possible.
"He doesn't think he's picking on individuals when he's talking about this, when he is criticising certain things about the club, but he feels it is the culture, which is something he has mentioned many times before in press conferences.
"Saturday's outburst felt a lot worse than we've seen before from Conte. It was damning.
"This is going to move quickly. It's going to develop and ramp up very quickly as Tuesday goes on."
April 3: Everton (A) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports
April 8: Brighton (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
April 15: Bournemouth (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
April 23: Newcastle (A) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports
April 27: Man Utd (H) - Premier League, kick-off 8.15pm
April 30: Liverpool (A) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
May 6: Crystal Palace (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 13: Aston Villa (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 20: Brentford (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 28: Leeds (A) - Premier League, kick off 3pm
Sky Sports News has been told Mauricio Pochettino will assess all his options in the summer.
Pochettino is ready to return to management but is waiting for the right opportunity. He has had several approaches in the last eight months, none of which he felt were right.
Pochettino has been approached by Real Madrid twice before but was under contract at Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain when the approaches were made.
Tottenham approached Pochettino in the summer of 2021 - when they ultimately appointed Nuno Espirito Santo - but his contract at PSG meant he couldn't talk to them.
