Tottenham are in meltdown again and this time Antonio Conte has to accept his share of the blame

The power balance that exists between a football club and its manager is usually weighted heavily in favour of the former.

There are rare occasions when that dynamic is flipped: Manchester City underwent an internal restructure to attract Pep Guardiola in 2016; Liverpool is a club built around the cult of Jurgen Klopp; Tottenham are bending over backwards to keep Antonio Conte happy.

Since Conte was appointed in November, the general consensus has been that Spurs are lucky to have him, rather than the other way around. Last season, Conte took a sledgehammer to Juventus’ Serie A dominance while in charge of Inter as Spurs limped to a lowest Premier League finish in 12 years.

Conte’s arrival sparked an upturn in form on the pitch and a surge of optimism in the stands, but progress has since stalled. Steven Bergwijn’s King Power heroics aside, 2022 has been miserable for Spurs so far with three scoreless defeats to Chelsea followed by back-to-back home losses against Southampton and Wolves.

More from Football

Kieran Trippier ruled out of 'upcoming fixtures' with broken foot in huge blow for Newcastle14 February, 20226 Champions League stars to watch out for in the last-16 - from Jonathan David to Darwin Nunez14 February, 2022Man Utd's Ronaldo problem, Liverpool's surprise, a new Newcastle and fun Everton14 February, 2022

Mistakes are occurring with alarming frequency and a crisis of confidence has taken hold. Spurs are in the midst of a doom spiral.

The rot had set in long before Conte got involved, but he is not immune to criticism from this latest meltdown.

Individuals warrant scrutiny for poor performances, but is it any wonder that heads are bowed, shoulders are slumped and passes are misplaced when the prevailing message from the manager is that most of them aren’t good enough?

Supporters, starved of success, have lapped up Conte’s routine to dish up home truths to his squad and Daniel Levy. Some of them will have criticised Jose Mourinho for doing precisely the same thing.

“The problem is that you cannot buy the winning mentality,” was Conte’s latest assessment. “In my opinion, compare the past and compare the season when this team reached the final of the Champions League, a lot of things have changed.” He added: “We are working very hard with the players, with the players there is a great commitment but it is not enough. It is not enough.”

Tottenham’s last two defeats were like the worst days of the Mourinho and Nuno eras

By Daniel Storey, i chief football writer

Have Tottenham already broken Antonio Conte? His teams have lost before, clearly. But the most damaging defeats, the ones that might be interpreted as slurs upon his reputation, always provoked a reaction. Conte would hop and jump on the touchline as if it were made of fire, screaming and waving his arms as if desperately trying to attract the attention of a passing plane from a deserted island.

On Sunday, there was none of that mania during or after the match. During the second half, the cameras panned occasionally to Conte, glumly stood as if he had been waiting three hours and counting for a bus. After the game, he forlornly told the interviewer that he didn’t really want to think about a top-four challenge because he has grown accustomed to title races. It might be a while before one of those comes along, Antonio.

It was always a nice idea that Tottenham were going to finish fourth because they had lots of games in hand, but then the pesky football matches came along and it has all fallen apart. Their last two displays, painful home defeats against sides that Spurs really ought to beat, have been like the worst days of the Mourinho and Nuno eras. After Manchester City next weekend, it might well be four league defeats on the spin.

This is an extract of The Score, Daniel Storey’s weekly verdict on all 20 Premier League teams’ performances. Sign up to receive the newsletter on Monday mornings here 

Tottenham’s eagerness to shape the squad in Conte’s image has also left it lacking guile, craft and off the ball movement in midfield. There were few tears shed at Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso’s departures, while those reserved for Dele Alli’s exit were wistful for the player he once was but had long ceased to be. Even so, waving all three off has restricted Conte’s options.

The club’s transfer business last month was shaped by Conte’s desire to use a 3-4-3 formation. Conte indicated that Rodrigo Bentancur’s best position is “to play [as one of] two midfielders”, while Dejan Kulusevski was signed nominally to provide competition for Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura.

More on Tottenham Hotspur FC

The Harry Kane moment that said so much about the current state of Spurs13 February, 2022Wolves punish calamitous Tottenham defending to leapfrog Conte's men in race for Europe13 February, 2022Saints stun Spurs as two goals in three minutes dent European hopes - ratings and analysis09 February, 2022

Since the transfer window shut, Spurs’ 3-4-3 has been comprehensively picked apart by opponents they would expect to beat. He switched to a 4-2-3-1 after 28 minutes on Sunday.

It is indicative of the esteem in which Conte is held that such a poor display is seen as a greater reflection of the team he manages and the tragi-comic club that employs him than it is of himself. Spurs are dragging Conte down, not the other way around, goes the argument.

But Conte’s negativity has fuelled that unhelpful narrative and Spurs have allowed the power pendulum to swing too far.

from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/4q0W3SY