What did Spurs fans expect from Antonio Conte? Do they think he’s some kind of miracle worker?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would’ve heard about his “mutual agreement departure“. But as a neutral fan, something doesn’t sit right with me about that.
In the build-up to the departure, Spurs fans, and the board of directors seemed shocked by Conte’s harsh evaluation of the club and players. But he was absolutely right, all along. Conte is a serial winner, this we know from his previous roles at world-class clubs. However, not even he could win trophies at Spurs.
Why? Because he was surrounded by a squad of losers who don’t want to win. They want to do anything except win. You might think that’s harsh, but it’s true. Harry Kane has broke dozens of individual records, but where’s his trophy?
I say this as a reflective analysis, not to be harshly critical. If Spurs want to change and start challenging for trophies, then they must first address the deep-rooted issue, the issue which exceeds the manager in charge.
Spurs have a losing culture. It’s been the case for many years. As long as they finish near the top, challenge for some cup trophies and finish above Arsenal, they see that as a successful season. And because they host a lot of England players, the English media romanticise the club, but it’s the same, every season.
Let’s not forget, Conte guided Spurs to 4th in the Premier League. In previous seasons and certainly under Mauricio Pochettino, they were happy with this. Let’s not forget, the last time they finished higher than 4th was in 2017-18. 5 years ago.
Fans should hope that the board of directors are looking towards Arsenal, who are 20 points clear of them, and learning a thing or two from them. The players there want to win. They’re famous for calling each game a “cup final”. It’s not cringe, it’s a mentality you must instil to want to win every game.
So, good luck to Conte in his next role, I’m sure he’ll smash it. If Spurs players and the board listened to what he had to say, I’m sure they’d have been yet another successful marker on his illustrious CV.
What do you think needs to change at Spurs?