If Antonio Conte wasn’t fully aware of the size of the challenge facing him at Tottenham Hotspur, he most certainly is now after suffering his first defeat in charge.
Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat to NS Mura in the Uefa Europa Conference League will go down as one of the most humiliating defeats in the club’s history. It was only eight months ago that Spurs were dumped out of the Europa League by a managerless Dinamo Zagreb team, shorn of their coach after he had been imprisoned a few days before. If Spurs fans thought that was bad, this was somehow even worse.
Conte, who made nine changes to the team that beat Leeds 2-1 last Sunday, did not mince his words after seeing his team lose to a 94th-minute winner from a club that currently sits fifth out of 10 in the Slovenian top-flight table and is ranked 341st in Uefa’s most recent club coefficients rankings.
“I did not like what happened tonight, the performance. I must be honest and tell you that after three and a half weeks, I am starting to understand the situation,” he said afterwards. “I can tell you that the situation is not simple. It is not simple because in this moment, for sure the level of Tottenham is not so high.”
He added: “After three and a half weeks, I am happy to stay here but at the same time I must be honest and tell you we need to work a lot to improve the quality of the [current] squad.”
The message to Tottenham’s chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici could not have been clearer: invest in the squad or I won’t be sticking around for long. Conte’s predecessors Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho both made similar demands, but only after being in the job for far longer than the Italian’s 24 days. Tottenham need Conte more than Conte needs Tottenham and he knows it.
Throughout his two decades at the helm, Levy has faced criticism over the club’s lack of investment in the transfer market compared to that of their rivals. While historically it is true that Spurs have been unable to compete with the Premier League‘s wealthiest clubs, Levy will point to the club’s expenditure since reaching the Champions League final in 2019 as proof of the club’s ambition.
Over the past five transfer windows, Tottenham have signed 18 first-team players, either permanently or on loan. In total, they have spent an estimated £291m on transfer fees, which could rise to £351m if Spurs take up their option to sign Cristian Romero (for £47m) and Pierluigi Gollini (for £13m) from Atalanta in January or next summer. They also spent loan fees on Gedson Fernandes and Carlos Vinicius and covered over a third of Gareth Bale’s reported £600,000 per week salary during his loan spell from Real Madrid last season.
Tottenham’s signings since the 2019 Champions League final
2019-20
- Tanguy Ndombele (£54m)
- Giovani Lo Celso (£42m)
- Steven Bergwijn (£27m)
- Ryan Sessegnon (£25m)
- Jack Clarke (£10m)
- Gedson Fernandes (loan)
2020-21
- Sergio Reguilon (£25m)
- Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (£15m)
- Matt Doherty (£15m)
- Joe Rodon (£15m)
- Gareth Bale (loan)
- Carlos Vinicius (loan)
- Joe Hart (free)
2021-22
- Emerson Royal (£26m)
- Bryan Gil (£22m)
- Pape Matar Sarr (£15m)
- Cristian Romero (loan option to buy £47m)
- Pierluigi Gollini (loan option to buy £13m)
Given the outlay and regeneration of the squad, it must be a concern for Levy that the club’s three most important players pre-date any of those arrivals: Hugo Lloris (signed in 2012), Son Heung-min (signed in 2015) and Harry Kane (developed in the academy). Of the 18 recruits, only Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Sergio Reguilon can be considered successful buys at this stage, while Romero, who is currently injured, looks like he could be a key figure in the defence.
Over the past couple of years, a familiar argument has been that Tottenham’s squad is stronger than results and performances have suggested. Pochettino, Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo were all accused of failing to get the best out of their players, each paying the ultimate price for not doing so. But that theory is rapidly losing credence. The growing evidence, as highlighted starkly on Thursday night, is that this squad is simply not good enough.
Tottenham’s uncertain future
Conte has admitted that he is making “evaluations” of his players ahead of the January transfer window. With the exception of a handful, they are all playing for their futures. Kane (should he stick around), Son, Hojbjerg, Reguilon, Romero and possibly Emerson, could form the core of Conte’s squad. The ongoing uncertainty around Lloris’ contract which expires in June, means his departure cannot be discounted.
The priority position is centre-back, where Spurs have struggled since the gradual disintegration of the Toby Alderweireld-Jan Vertonghen axis. Stefan De Vrij and Milan Skriniar were integral components of Conte’s successful Inter side, and have both been tipped to reunite with him in north London. AC Milan’s left-footed defender Alessio Romagnoli is another who has been linked.
Central midfield is also a long-standing problem area. Spurs have not suitably replaced Mousa Dembele’s ball-carrying abilities or Christian Eriksen’s creativity since their departures, with neither Tanguy Ndombele nor Giovani Lo Celso living up to expectations. Dele Alli looks a shadow of the player who won back-to-back PFA Young Player of the Year awards under Pochettino, while Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp have also struggled for form.
Again solutions could be found in Serie A. AC Milan’s box-to-box player Franck Kessie is out of contract next summer and has been rumoured as a target. The same applies to Inter’s Marcelo Brozovic, who was crucial to Inter’s title win. Senegalese international Pape Matar Sarr will join Spurs next summer once his loan spell with FC Metz has concluded.
A new forward, either to support or replace Kane should he get his wish to move, would also be handy given Conte is light on options in that area. Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic looks to be the primary target but has plenty of suitors, including Arsenal.
And for the first time in a decade, Spurs could be on the lookout for a new goalkeeper, with Lloris’ deal set to expire at the end of the campaign. Gollini hasn’t yet shown he can be the Frenchman’s long-term successor, while Manchester United’s Dean Henderson and West Brom’s Sam Johnstone, are both on the club’s radar.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3rcYHSs
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