Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte
Tottenham Hotspur fans have been left fuming with Antonio Conte appearing to back down in his criticism of the board.
The Lowdown: Conte fuming
After Tottenham’s 3-3 draw against Southampton on Saturday, Conte was left fuming by the capitulation from his players, saying:
“I see selfish players, players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart into this”
“There’s no fire, no desire. You need to have this in every moment. When you are NOT a team, you can’t improve”.
Not only did the manager criticise his team, but he also appeared to take a swipe at owner Daniel Levy, questioning why the club have failed to win major trophies under his stewardship.
However, Alasdair Gold has recently reported that the Italian has clarified his comments to the board, explaining they were aimed solely at the players.
The Latest: Spurs fans react
Taking to Twitter after the news, Spurs fans expressed their frustration about their manager appearing to change his stance.
They said:
“So he’s a coward. Regardless, how can he work with the players after this. Does he pick the same team and expect different, will they play for him? It’s untenable. End it now. He needs to go, the bad egg players definitely need to go and the owners most definitely need to go.” – @80sHotspur
“You throw your players under the bus and expect them to perform for you. Coward.” – @ForgorJonathan
“So the board now have a manager that won’t commit and players that they don’t believe in. This could be awkward.” – @mint_spurs
“So he’s backed down? Great.” – @HeHeFunnee
“Conte has well and truly bottled it, the man really has no class. Overrated washed up dinosaur. He’s now attacked the fans numerous time and the players, time to go.” – @Bridgenn
“Stick to your guns Conte. It is the board and the players.” – @Rory4Spurs
The Verdict: Time to go?
Regardless of who the main target of the extraordinary rant was, it is looking ever more likely that Conte will exit, at least by the summer, with members of the squad now said to be growing frustrated by the negativity he often conveys in public.
There are a whole host of options for Tottenham, with Thomas Tuchel still out of work, however he is only believed to want the job if the club secure Champions League football for next season.
Ryan Mason has been discussed internally as a potential interim manager for the rest of the campaign, but appointing the 31-year-old would be a risk, given his lack of experience.
Levy faces a difficult task when it comes to appointing his next manager, with both Jose Mourinho and Conte failing to win any silverware, despite being successful elsewhere, indicating there is a fundamental problem with this group of players.
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