Antonio Conte's comments just before Tottenham sacked him now read as big warning for Postecoglou - opinion
01/27/2025 07:45 AM
Antonio Conte is one name on a long list of managers who have failed to succeed at Tottenham Hotspur during Daniel Levy's tenure as chairman.
Since Levy was appointed in 2000, Tottenham have won the League Cup just once, with a trophy win or lack of seemingly the barometer of success for every manager who has arrived in N17 of late.
Juande Ramos was in charge for that trophy win, and since, all of Harry Redknapp, Andre Villas- Boas, Tim Sherwood, Maurcio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Conte failed to add to Spurs' major honours list.
Of course, Ange Postecoglou is the latest high-profile manager trying to turn things around in north London, but he's currently having little success in doing so.
And after Tottenham fans' banner about Levy which they hung at the stadium during their 2-1 defeat to Leicester City on Sunday, perhaps it’s time for Postecoglou to listen to Conte's previous comments.
Antonio Conte comments suggest that Ange Postecoglou isn’t Tottenham’s issue
Back in March 2023, after Spurs' surrendered a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 with Southampton in the Premier League, Conte went on a stunning rant at his press conference.
And whilst also blasting his players for their efforts, Conte was pretty clear in suggesting that the managers in charge of Tottenham haven't been the issue in recent years.
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Postecoglou is safe at Tottenham for now, but perhaps the current incumbent should take Conte's warning that he may not be able to change things at the club.
Speaking in 2023, Conte said: "They’re used to it here. Don’t play for something important. They don’t want to play under pressure.
"They don’t want to play under stress. It's easy in this way, Tottenham’s story is this. 20 years there is the owner & they never won something. But why?”
"The fault is only for the club or for every manager who stay here? And I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench.
"You risk to disrupt the future of the manager and to protect the other situation in every moment.
"Until now I tried to hide this situation, but now? No. Because I repeat, I don't want to see what I have seen today.
"Because this is unacceptable, also for the respect of the fans – they follow us and pay the tickets, and to see this team another time have this type of performance, for me, I repeat, this is unacceptable."
Tottenham need to back Ange Postecoglou
Scathing comments, and Postecoglou probably is already aware of some of the challenges that exist at the club beyond his control.
Gary Lineker thinks Tottenham should keep Postecoglou in line with similar sentiments about a manager change having very little positive effect.
Of course, it can't be ignored that injuries are also playing a huge role in the issues at Tottenham right now – it's a different situation to Conte's frustrations.
And if Spurs had a fully fit eleven, Postecoglou might not even be under pressure.
But it remains pretty baffling that the Tottenham manager hasn't been backed already this month, even if the club accelerated a deal for goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
