Antonio Conte Sack Watch (Napoli)

I still have absolutely no idea why he took this job. His stock was possibly the highest it’s ever been or will be after leading inter to a Serie A title Juventus had won 9 years running. Why go to a club that just doesn’t win trophies ever?
Money. No club was stupid enough to offer him as much as Spurs did.
 
He's honestly kinda lucky his opponent on top 4 is Newcastle. They have been really rubbish this season but still has a good shot at finishing top 4 because Newcastle are really nothing special despite the media hyping them.

He can still finish top 4 as awful as they're now.
 
Every manager that plays with 5 at the back is a disgrace to the game and should be fired. Or executed.
 
He's such a depressing character. I wouldn't want to play for him if I was a pro.

And he's so married to the 3-4-3 or whatever it is he insists on playing every single weekend. He just won't change the system or tactics, such a stubborn man.

Spurs getting him in reminds me a little of when Mourinho joined us. We got him too late when the game was already changing - and the game is definitely passing Conte by. He will do a job in Italy again, I'm sure. Maybe at an Atalanta or Roma. But he won't achieve anything with Spurs. This league is too strong now, with far better managers around him. Spurs would have done better with Potter in my opinion. Expectations would be much lower and Potter would cherish the idea of having a long-term project. Chelsea is such a bad fit for him.
 
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Is 2013 really the last time he won a CL knockout game?
 
Is 2013 really the last time he won a CL knockout game?

Yeah when Juve beat Celtic in the RO16. Out in the group stages the season after, drew and lost in the RO16 with Chelsea then out in the group stages twice with Inter.
 
Is 2013 really the last time he won a CL knockout game?
He’s only played 3 games since then. 2 of them against Messi’s Barcelona (he almost won the first leg with under 30% possession, but a horrible individual mistake bailed Barça out)…. Partly his fault of course getting KO:d in the group stage a couple times.

But he also took Inter to the EL final in this period.
 
Yeah when Juve beat Celtic in the RO16. Out in the group stages the season after, drew and lost in the RO16 with Chelsea then out in the group stages twice with Inter.
Some of those included some very unlucky stuff (Lukaku saving Shakhtar from Sanchez’ winner). But it looks like he got all the luck ended this year to win Spurs their group stage, they really didn’t deserve to defeat Marseille twice. And Sporting somehow threw away the points…
 
He’s only played 3 games since then. 2 of them against Messi’s Barcelona (he almost won the first leg with under 30% possession, but a horrible individual mistake bailed Barça out)…. Partly his fault of course getting KO:d in the group stage a couple times.

But he also took Inter to the EL final in this period.

These are excuses.

Everyone talks a big game on Conte, fair enough the titles he has won.

He has managed Juve, Inter and Chelsea and failed to win a KO game in the CL. Considering they won the league, that is a major failure.

Maybe EL is his level then.
 
Think getting KO'd at the hands of Milan will actually benefit him, I think he'll make top 4 if that happens. He can manage 1 game a week.
 
These are excuses.

Everyone talks a big game on Conte, fair enough the titles he has won.

He has managed Juve, Inter and Chelsea and failed to win a KO game in the CL. Considering they won the league, that is a major failure.

Maybe EL is his level then.

Not excuses. Context. If you read my other post I say he’s extremely lucky to have made it to the KO stages this time around with Spurs. We agree on the main thing taht he’s been a poor CL coach.
 
He is having to step back from his duties following a routine post-op check up. Clearly isn't a well man at the moment and is going to recover with his family in Italy for presumably the next few weeks at least. Wishing him a speedy recovery.
 
He is having to step back from his duties following a routine post-op check up. Clearly isn't a well man at the moment and is going to recover with his family in Italy for presumably the next few weeks at least. Wishing him a speedy recovery.
Not his biggest fan, far from it, but wish him a speedy recovery
 
He is having to step back from his duties following a routine post-op check up. Clearly isn't a well man at the moment and is going to recover with his family in Italy for presumably the next few weeks at least. Wishing him a speedy recovery.
He should have taken the time to fully recover… Coming back so soon when he’s not ready probably contributed to the last 2 results… Stellini has shown he’s capable of taking care of the team for some games. Not sure what they were (or what he was) thinking rushing him in like this after an operation.
 
As I said before, as crap as his team has been this season, he's lucky he's challenging Newcastle for top 4.

I have no doubt they'll finish 4th just based on that, and not because they're actually good or because he's doing a good job.

I honestly think this entire experiment has been a failure for both him and Spurs, but at the moment there's no reason to sack him.
 
As I said before, as crap as his team has been this season, he's lucky he's challenging Newcastle for top 4.

I have no doubt they'll finish 4th just based on that, and not because they're actually good or because he's doing a good job.

I honestly think this entire experiment has been a failure for both him and Spurs, but at the moment there's no reason to sack him.
I wouldn't say that them finishing 4th is a guarantee. I think it's quite likely that their main challenger is yet to fully emerge. Liverpool.
 
I wouldn't say that them finishing 4th is a guarantee. I think it's quite likely that their main challenger is yet to fully emerge. Liverpool.

The fact Liverpool have been dreadful for much of this season yet are suddenly just 7 points off 4th, with 2 games in hand is pretty unsettling really.

Not a chance either of Spurs or Newcastle stop them.
 
The fact Liverpool have been dreadful for much of this season yet are suddenly just 7 points off 4th, with 2 games in hand is pretty unsettling really.

Not a chance either of Spurs or Newcastle stop them.
It is amazing how they still have a shot at it. A very realistic one as well. Hopefully we can put them in their place in a couple of week's time.
 
The fact Liverpool have been dreadful for much of this season yet are suddenly just 7 points off 4th, with 2 games in hand is pretty unsettling really.

Not a chance either of Spurs or Newcastle stop them.
That’s because Spurs have faced City and Arsenal twice while Liverpool still have two games left against them.
The tables lying a little bit. No way Liverpool wins both games, I’d say not even one but we’ll see
 
That’s because Spurs have faced City and Arsenal twice while Liverpool still have two games left against them.
The tables lying a little bit. No way Liverpool wins both games, I’d say not even one but we’ll see

I wasn't writing them off even before the last 2 wins.
Anyone who saw their smash back from a worse position 2 years ago, without any centre backs, realised they could easily do the same this year.

Need someone to stop them, but if we don't take points off them next time out in the league, we can't really moan at others not doing so.
 
I wasn't writing them off even before the last 2 wins.
Anyone who saw their smash back from a worse position 2 years ago, without any centre backs, realised they could easily do the same this year.

Need someone to stop them, but if we don't take points off them next time out in the league, we can't really moan at others not doing so.
Yeah but I think the tables lying. Same way posters say they can be 8 behind us if they win two in hand. Well that’s ok if they didn’t have the two hardest games in the league left to play while their rivals are guaranteed to have easier weekends. If they don’t win both games then realistically they’re sitting 2/3 points further off their rivals.
Unless they win both. If they win both then hello 21 for us!
 
Yeah but I think the tables lying. Same way posters say they can be 8 behind us if they win two in hand. Well that’s ok if they didn’t have the two hardest games in the league left to play while their rivals are guaranteed to have easier weekends. If they don’t win both games then realistically they’re sitting 2/3 points further off their rivals.
Unless they win both. If they win both then hello 21 for us!

Let's hope you're right.
But although we'd all love to think their whole squad dropped off a cliff overnight (and some truly think that of Fergie's last team who cruised a title - ignoring that it was Moyes' criminal management that did it), they probably haven't.

They've got some of their luck back though. That Tarkowski header off the post, then scoring 20 seconds later, with a huge Pickford error was outrageous stuff.
 
How is it going to look if conte comes back again to the sidelines and spurs drop point straight away again when they had a 100% record without him this season
 
Think getting KO'd at the hands of Milan will actually benefit him, I think he'll make top 4 if that happens. He can manage 1 game a week.

Not so sure, Spurs midfield is screwed. Reliant on Hojbjerg to play every single game, Bissouma out for a couple weeks, Bentancour gone for the rest of the season.

They are down to Skip and Sarr in midfield, who are fine as squad players, not sure I'd want them as the go to's in midfield if I wanted top 4. Which is what they are atm until Bissouma comes back from injury.
 
A lot of negativity for Conte here and it is not fair. He has a team that is not good enough and still in the top four, last 16 in UCL and could still qualify for the quarter finals, the FA cup. We can not ignore that he is a serial trophy winner and has a big brilliant winning mentality . I am pretty sure as for example if Chelsea hire him right now he would take them to top four and will win them the league next year.


ETH is far better at organizing, correcting and the statistics are clearly showing us that we are improving in every position. He is the right choice for the club, but what I would like to see from the fans especially here in the Cafe , is to be humble a little bit. We win two or three games and all of a sudden we are in the title race, no that is not good. We have to be realistic because if things go wrong we will be the first to hate this man that we love now.
 
Not so sure, Spurs midfield is screwed. Reliant on Hojbjerg to play every single game, Bissouma out for a couple weeks, Bentancour gone for the rest of the season.

They are down to Skip and Sarr in midfield, who are fine as squad players, not sure I'd want them as the go to's in midfield if I wanted top 4. Which is what they are atm until Bissouma comes back from injury.
Bissouma injury is potential season ender, too.

I think other 4th place contenders would prefer Tottenham to beat Milan to progress to at least another round. Conte team usually does better when they only have one competition to concentrate on. Newcastle's recent form means Tottenham is back in it. Not certain, but despite the midfield crisis, they have enough quality, and experience in other positions to get over the line.
 
Bissouma injury is potential season ender, too.

I think other 4th place contenders would prefer Tottenham to beat Milan to progress to at least another round. Conte team usually does better when they only have one competition to concentrate on. Newcastle's recent form means Tottenham is back in it. Not certain, but despite the midfield crisis, they have enough quality, and experience in other positions to get over the line.

I really do not rate Spurs defence, Lenglet and Sanchez I do not think are good enough, Dier is an ok squad option but should not be starting. This holds out in the stats, Spurs have shipped 35 goals this season, for a 3 man defence, in a Conte team that sets up defensively, that is criminal. Royal has improved but I still do not think he is a top four RWB, Perisic, you will get one good game a week out of him at his age. Lloris is past it, and Forster is not the answer, given he is almost as old as Lloris.

Where Spurs shine is with their attacking options, only City and Arsenal have scored more than Spurs this season. You would expect that with the main attacking options being Son, Kane, Kulusevski and Richarlison.

Bentancour has been arguably Spurs second best player, and he is gone for the remainder of the season. Hojbjerg cannot be expected to play every game in three competitions and with Bissouma also out for an extended period they will need to rely on Skip and Sarr.
 
A lot of negativity for Conte here and it is not fair. He has a team that is not good enough and still in the top four, last 16 in UCL and could still qualify for the quarter finals, the FA cup. We can not ignore that he is a serial trophy winner and has a big brilliant winning mentality . I am pretty sure as for example if Chelsea hire him right now he would take them to top four and will win them the league next year.


ETH is far better at organizing, correcting and the statistics are clearly showing us that we are improving in every position. He is the right choice for the club, but what I would like to see from the fans especially here in the Cafe , is to be humble a little bit. We win two or three games and all of a sudden we are in the title race, no that is not good. We have to be realistic because if things go wrong we will be the first to hate this man that we love now.
I do agree with this. It's not been a good season for Tottenham so far but they're not in bad position. There's no away goal rule anymore so it's not like they can't progress vs Milan still even with being 1-0 down. Should beat Sheffield United in Fa Cup and as you said are 4th in PL currently. It's not all doom and gloom.
 
What a legend. Needs a goal to stay in the wirh 7 mins to go and brings on Sanchez for Kulusevski.