Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O'Hara believes Antonio Conte will take no prisoners after being appointed as the club's new boss, immediately shipping players out who don't meet his standards.
The Lowdown: Fiery Conte hired
Conte was appointed as the club's new manager on Tuesday (BBC) just a day after Nuno Espirito Santo was relieved of his duties in north London.
The Italian, who left Inter Milan in this summer, is known for his hard-line approach with his squad - for example, he told former Chelsea striker Diego Costa he was no longer in his plans by text during his time at Stamford Bridge.
In another interview while with the Blues back in 2017, the maverick manager claimed he would murder any players who disrupt his squad.
The Latest: O'Hara expects strong Conte stance
Speaking to Sky Sports News following the confirmation of Conte's appointment, O'Hara echoed similar sentiments of how brutal Conte's leadership will be:
"That winning mentality that he's gonna bring, if you're not gonna be on board with that and you want this comfortable lifestyle, you'll be gone.
"This guy is not gonna stand for it. He wants winners, he wants the team to be on side, he wants everyone pulling together. So anyone who's not on board with that, he will get rid of them straight away."
The Verdict: Will it work?
Conte is not a man to be messed with. On the sidelines, for a start, he is a ball of energy and goes through all of the emotions on a regular basis. He has previously admitted he needs to eat throat sweets given how much he shouts at his players (Goal.com), for example, while he has not shied away from questioning those above him, as he did in regards to transfers at Chelsea (via The Evening Standard).
"When Conte speaks, his words assault you." Those are the words of former Juventus player Andrea Pirlo (via The Mirror).
As O'Hara says, Conte will read the riot act to anyone who is not on board, and that could be difficult for some players to deal with. For example, Tanguy Ndombele's fitness and desire was called out in public by Jose Mourinho (via The Metro), another man not afraid to speak his mind. Under Conte, he may find himself even more under-fire if he does not improve, and that may be the case for several others as well.
In other news, Tottenham met club directors to discuss a summer move for this 21-year-old striker.