Antonio Conte’s Tottenham outburst full of truths but also hypocrisy in vain attempt to save face

Antonio Conte, manager of Tottenham Hotspur, criticised his players and the culture of the club after a 3-3 draw at Southampton. His outburst came after the club was knocked out of two cup competitions in seven days and continued to be inconsistent in the league. Conte has an easy exit strategy available, but appears to be using his outburst to deflect blame from his decisions and to absolve himself of failure to win silverware for the first time as a coach at a major club.

While there is some truth in Conte’s outburst, Tottenham’s struggles have been linked to inadequate foundational rebuilds, too many middling players, and a failure to provide Conte with first-class wing-backs. Conte also appeared to criticise chairman Daniel Levy, alluding to the fact that the history of the club speaks for itself, suggesting its owner has prioritised business over football.

Conte has been accused of hypocrisy, criticising his players for lack of commitment when he himself has refused to commit to Tottenham beyond the end of the season. Additionally, if the players are lacking in professionalism or selfishness, they may be mirroring Conte’s own apparent attitude. As the head coach, he bears the responsibility of creating and maintaining the dressing-room culture.

Conte’s comments about Tottenham’s history and culture have been viewed as a way to excuse his own shortcomings, including the team’s failure to lay a glove on a mid-ranking AC Milan side in the Champions League or its crash-out from the FA Cup to Sheffield United. While some may see his comments as a way of holding the owner to account for years of failure to win silverware, they were ultimately seen as a self-serving attempt to deflect blame from his own decisions, specifically a disappointing campaign created in large part through his own making.



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