Antonio Conte — The first seven days
A lot can change in seven days. The government can cancel Christmas, God can create heaven and Earth, and a new manager can give Spurs fans hope for the future.
Well, while all of the above can actually be disputed, it’s clear that the outlook for Tottenham’s near future is a lot brighter than it was a week or so ago, and that is all down to Antonio Conte. After enduring the dreary football of Conte’s Portuguese predecessors for two years, two games over the past week have offered plenty of hope that once felt a thing of the past.
On Tuesday, Conte said exactly what Spurs fans had been desperate to hear for such a long time. A far cry from Nuno’s “we’re gonna make you proud” Pochettino rehash, Conte’s clear intentions to deliver renewed “passion, mentality and determination” to the club on the pitch felt like a blessing from above. But Spurs fans have been burned before, and needed to physically see change to really start to believe.
Thursday came and brought with it the Europa Conference League game at home against Vitesse. Even before the kick-off the difference in feeling was palpable, with the gathered crowd lauding the new boss with such intense adoration it brought the emotive Italian to tears. This new passion clearly rubbed off on the team, which had TWO (2) actual shots in the first minute. The side displayed the aggression and flamboyant attacking play that has been craved since the club was founded, and were 3–0 up inside 30 minutes. The rest of the game however showed that the ghosts of the past still remain, with defensive errors and a red card dampening things a bit. That said, a 3–2 win, a lot of entertainment and the reality that this was just 3 days into a new era, meant that the ghosts could be forgiven.
Conte’s desire to make things better quickly was even clearer the next day, when he arrived over an hour and a half late for a press conference because he wanted the team to train more to improve fitness, which had been clearly lacking under both the previous head coaches. In a very short space of time, the new boss had already endeared himself to the Spurs faithful.
The first big test came on Sunday, and although a 0–0 draw at Everton is not a wholly positive result in its own right, the greater context meant that it showed more promise. There was a clear attempt at an identity on show. The team was frequently, and quickly, passing into the wide areas to utilise Emerson Royal and Sergio Reguilon’s ability on the flanks, showing a plan other than passing around the back slowly and then launching it to an out-of-form Harry Kane hoping he can provide a miracle touch to Heung-Min Son. Again there was no shot on target, but the blueprint was clearly visible and you feel that with more work the cogs will begin turning smoothly to create an efficient and capable football machine. Sergio Reguilon echoed that sentiment in a post-match interview that under previous management, it was a game that probably would have been lost, so the stagnant trajectory of the last two seasons is certainly showing signs of an upward turn.
For Spurs fans, the past week has been a very exciting and relieving one and now, perhaps mercifully, the international break is upon us. This will give Conte an opportunity to knuckle down with those not away on duty, develop his vision and begin to truly imprint his ideas on the squad. After the break there are three winnable games in the space of a week against Leeds, NS Mura and Burnley, which provide a good chance to get the cogs turning before the key festive period. And as we have seen since last Tuesday… A lot can change in seven days.
