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Antonio Conte - officially NOT the coach of THFC

For a team down the bottom of the league, 1 point here and 1 point there can be vital to inch your way away from trouble, because your peers get zero points a lot of the time.

But for a team right up near the top of the league, 1 point is a fairly rubbish return because your rivals often get 3. So for me we should push things and take risks when faced with a weak opponent, to try to force SOMEONE to win.

I.e. tell the wing backs to stay forwards and not track back (let the 3 centre backs plus Hojbjerg mop things up).
I.e. swap a wing back that cannot play football, for a player that can play football. I do NOT mean flipping Davinson Sanchez.
I.e. let Kane drop into the 10 position and bring on Bergwijn up top.
I.e. provoke something from Brentford to pull them out of position, even if that is conceding space and drawing them forwards, let them attack so we can break on them.

Don't just sit and watch the paint dry.


We just watched paint dry for 2 matches, zero shots on target and 1 point. Could have been 2 points.
I feel we would have got 3 points if we had provoked chaos in those matches.
I blame the commercial dept.
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been busy so less time on here, few thoughts on Brighton and Brentford. I think Conte got it wrong both times. A lot of slating on Royal and we have definitely looked worse since Doherty's injury, but i'm sorry, you can't put those two performances down to a Doherty being out. No shots in target because of a RWB out of the team who would probably be replaced immediately in the Summer anyway? no danger.

Brighton and Brentford done a great job of setting up for the expected. Conte changed personnel in both games but didn't alter a quite clearly failing formation in those 2 games. I don't think dramatic changes were even required, perhaps just an adjustment midmatch to see if moving Kulu more central, going 3-5-2 and trying to control the middle more.

Our two CMs in both games could not control the game, and we could not get the ball anywhere near Kane, Son, Kulu. So why stick with it? I think Conte can do wonders for us if he sticks around, but he is stubborn and i put those 2 failures in the past 2 games on him. By 70mins against Brighton, it was clearly not working. To do the same for the entirety of Brentford is just foolish. And they too should have snatched a late winner.

I'm not saying to do away with 3-4-3 but if it isn't working, he needs to show a Plan B. And he didn't and that cost us.

One other thinkg i'd like to raise was on the View from the Lane podcast. These PSG rumours, the constant complaining and the contract that ends 1 year from now. It's all not going to help things. He whines a lot, i get that, but i have no doubts some players must be thinking "he'll be gone in 1 year max anyway". So either we look to extend the contract now, or perhaps we let him go in the Summer. but i dont' see the postives of all of these factors helping us now.
 
One other thinkg i'd like to raise was on the View from the Lane podcast. These PSG rumours, the constant complaining and the contract that ends 1 year from now. It's all not going to help things. He whines a lot, i get that, but i have no doubts some players must be thinking "he'll be gone in 1 year max anyway". So either we look to extend the contract now, or perhaps we let him go in the Summer. but i dont' see the postives of all of these factors helping us now.
Apols to cut down your post to the final paragraph only but doesn't the contract also have a 1 year option in the club's favour? I'm sure I remember Conte talking about that when he joined saying that he wanted that clause to be in there so that the club only had to keep him for the third year if they were happy with his work?
 
Apols to cut down your post to the final paragraph only but doesn't the contract also have a 1 year option in the club's favour? I'm sure I remember Conte talking about that when he joined saying that he wanted that clause to be in there so that the club only had to keep him for the third year if they were happy with his work?

Not heard that but great if true.
 
Apols to cut down your post to the final paragraph only but doesn't the contract also have a 1 year option in the club's favour? I'm sure I remember Conte talking about that when he joined saying that he wanted that clause to be in there so that the club only had to keep him for the third year if they were happy with his work?

both parties would have to agree though. right now this no mans land helps no one.
 
Interesting to read today in the Athletic that Pochettino is 100% certain he will be back at PSG next year. With Mbappe in tow. They lay out the summer scenarios for managerial positions with top clubs in the best leagues and, if Poch sticks at PSG, sticking with Spurs looks by far the best available situation for Conte.

With fans back at full capacity - seats and suites - the beer taps gushing and a host of auxiliary events booked for the stadium, Levy should be happy with the financial state of affairs and have a decent budget to offer for new players. Lo Celso, Ndombele and Gil have done their transfer values no harm while on loan.

So, a summer transfer window for Conte and Paratici to do their recruitment and offloading, then a proper pre-season training camp to embed his tactics and strategies. Pretty decent prospect for Conte when it's all summed up. Make progress next season - top four a must have, good run in Europe to boost our super soaraway UEFA co-efficient - and I could easily see both Conte and Spurs happily renewing their vows for that third season. Oh, the songs he'll be sung.

What could possibly go wrong?
 

Interesting quote from Conte and assuming i’ve understood it correctly I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment - The aim can’t just be top 4, for now it’s at least something to go for as the board / Nuno and coaching staff / players screwed up any chance of actual glory in the first third of the season.

On a side note good to see an effective sub from him, obviously it helps having a game changer on the bench, don’t know if he mentioned specifically why Moura got the start, despite Lucas not exactly excelling it gave us an option to mix it up.
 
Interesting quote from Conte and assuming i’ve understood it correctly I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment - The aim can’t just be top 4, for now it’s at least something to go for as the board / Nuno and coaching staff / players screwed up any chance of actual glory in the first third of the season.
Bit unfair to blame Nuno for "screwing up any chance of glory." When he left we were still in both the Carabao and Europa Conference and we hadn't started the FA cup.

What has made it difficult this season in the PL is our failures against our rivals in the top half of the table (City aside and Nuno beat them too). Our performances against our rivals have not been good enough whether under Nuno or Conte. Hopefully we can get something against Liverpool but the likelihood is not.

Whereas Arsenal have beaten all the sides around them bar the top 2. That's what we need to work on next season as well as better performances in the cups.
 
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Bit unfair to blame Nuno for "screwing up any chance of glory." When he left we were still in both the Carabao and Europa Conference and we hadn't started the FA cup.

What has made it difficult this season in the PL is our failures against our rivals in the top half of the table (City aside and Nuno beat them too). Our performances against our rivals have not been good enough whether under Nuno or Conte. Hopefully we can get something against Liverpool but the likelihood is not.

Whereas Arsenal have beaten all the sides around them bar the top 2. That's what we need to work on next season as well as better performances in the cups.

On what you’ve said + a quick look at our results / timeline this season to refresh my memory I’ll hold my hands up on that one - It wasn’t necessarily Nuno’s fault he could rev the players up for the conference league, plus signings that weren’t meant for the first team for a while + Romero injury didn’t help his case. Although league wise I do have a sad memory of him just looking forlorn / stunned on the touch line in some of “those” performances towards the end.

Two fingers remain firmly aloft in the direction of the board and players for another damp squid of a season though, things do look better for next time if Conte is satisfied with the squad - One hopes it doesn’t rely on us getting CL to be able to make the required changes to be competitive.
 
Bit unfair to blame Nuno for "screwing up any chance of glory." When he left we were still in both the Carabao and Europa Conference and we hadn't started the FA cup.

What has made it difficult this season in the PL is our failures against our rivals in the top half of the table (City aside and Nuno beat them too). Our performances against our rivals have not been good enough whether under Nuno or Conte. Hopefully we can get something against Liverpool but the likelihood is not.

Whereas Arsenal have beaten all the sides around them bar the top 2. That's what we need to work on next season as well as better performances in the cups.
Thought other beating us last year their only wins against the big sides were last week when both those side shat the bed
 
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