antonio conte happy
Who else is available for the match in terms of the players returning from the World Cup?
About the players that played the final and third-fourth place, Perisic, Hugo and Cuti, only Ivan, who came back today and had a training session with us, is available for the game against Brentford. About Lloris we want him to stay with us and want him to also to stay on the bench against Brentford. As you know very well it is important also after World Cup to give bit of rest these players. About Cuti, he will be available for next game against Aston Villa, I hope so.
Do you have any concerns about Harry to lift himself back up after the disappointing way England went out of the World Cup?
No, honestly because we’re talking about a world-class striker but at the same time, you know football is this. Football you can have exciting moments and you can also have moment where you are a bit disappointed because you missed a penalty, the second penalty as the first he scored. But me, when I was a player I never missed a penalty because I didn’t kick. Never! Because I was a real disaster at it. But with a penalty I lost a World Cup against Brazil and I think you live this moment and you are really disappointed. For sure the first period you are sad but then you know that you have to move on. Football gives you the opportunity to have other chances to enjoy football. Because don’t forgot we do this job and also we are really lucky because we can enjoy this sport. Football gives us the possibility to play in the sport we have a lot of passion (for). Honestly I am not worried about him. I saw him very well in these two days with us.
How confident should Spurs fans be that you will sign a new contract? Is it dependent on the club showing ambition and backing you in the transfer market?
No, but I think I would like also in the future to not speak about this matter in the press conference because I think it is much more important the game we are going to play, in this case Brentford. But what I can tell you is I am really happy in the club, to work here and I have a really good relationship with the club. We talk every day with the club and try to find in every situation the best solution. But I think we have six months to stay together, to enjoy the situation and then we find, I repeat, the best solution. But I am really happy here. This is very, very important for me.
How long did it take you to get over losing the World Cup final in 94?
Yeah but in one side, for sure you can be disappointed but in the other side, for the second time in a row France reached the final of the World Cup. This is a big, big achievement because this tournament is really difficult and Hugo won the World Cup. For sure for him it was a great chance to win twice the World Cup and to do something extraordinary in your career. But at the same time about Hugo, he showed also in this World Cup that he is a fantastic goalkeeper. He is the captain of France and i think this is a big achievement to reach the final. Then when you play the final, you want to win but everybody that played at an important level won and lost finals. If I told you the number of finals I lost, we stay here one hour! You can win, you can lose but, I repeat, to reach the final was big achievement for France. In one side we are a bit disappointed for Hugo but we are also happy for Cuti because for him it was the first time to become World Cup champion.
How do you cope after the World Cup, better to have 12 there or not many like Brentford?
Yeah but in one hand, you are happy because for my club, Tottenham, to have 12 players at the World Cup it means that we are in the right way to try to be competitive and to try in the future to win something. It is normal that when you have so many players play a tournament like this, especially during the season, that now it is not easy because the physical condition is not at the top. It is impossible to give them a lot of rest and for sure with the players that didn’t play the World Cup and we work for four weeks, now they are in a great physical condition. We work a lot on the tactical aspect and physical aspect. Now they are in a level that is better than the players who finished the World Cup. For this reason I think I have two days to make the best decision for the game against Brentford. On one side I have players who I worked with for four weeks really well and on the other side, I have players who worked at World Cup and are not at the top at the moment. I have to make the best decision because it will be a really difficult game against Brentford.
Brentford have a good record against the top six, how wary should you and your players be of the threat they possess?
For sure I think this season is difficult for everybody, for all the clubs that have many players play at World Cup. To play in such a short time won’t be easy, won’t be easy. For us to play against Brentford, also last season was really difficult because we are talking about a team who are really strong physically and really good at set-pieces.We have to pay great attention because it is a strange situation. It is a strange situation and honestly to play so quickly after only one week after the World Cup, I am not really happy. I am not really happy and I think all the managers think like me but at the same time to play at the Christmas period, I know is an exciting moment for the fans and the country. For us, less because we have to live with this type of situation. This season is much more difficult than previous seasons.
It’s 41 days since you last played your last Premier League game, have you missed it?
To play after 41 days, it is strange because usually you have this time to prepare the new season during the summer, after your players rested and your mind was clear. Instead, also during the World Cup, I followed all my players with fingers crossed because you know very well you can lose players, important players. It happened that Richarlison had problems, Bentancur had problems, Ben Davies had problems. It is a new, fresh start for the players that we worked with for four weeks. But for the others it is a big effort in my opinion, it is a big effort. I don’t know which is the answer, I don’t know honestly. Because this is the first time to face this type of situation.
How long are you expecting Richarlison to be out for?
I spoke with the medical department. They said to me we need three or four weeks still. Three or four weeks. His injury was a serious injury.
Lucas Moura has missed a large chunk of the season and was absent for the three friendlies, what is the latest with him?
About Lucas Moura, we didn’t have him from the start of the season. And we are continuing to not have him. He has this problem, he is struggling a lot to find a solution. For sure it’s a difficult situation. Because I have a good player in my squad, but he’s never available. It’s like you don’t have him. It’s a pity because I repeat: we are talking about a good player, a good guy, but he is struggling a lot to solve this problem. I don’t know, I don’t know what in the future happens about him.
Is Fraser Forster ready to come in and play? What have you seen from him in the first part of the season that convinces you that he can come in and make an impact?
Fraser, we are talking about a reliable keeper, a good keeper. I remember when I was the coach of Juventus that he played with Celtic, and he impressed me a lot during the game. We played there in the last-16 against Celtic. We are talking about a really good professional player, and he is reliable, and I can count on him. He is going to play against Brentford.
What do you want the club to do in the January transfer window?
What do I want the club to do? I think it’s not right to say this. I think that in every club, there is the head coach, and sporting director and the owner, to try to speak about the situation. I can give advice to my club, the way to try to improve the team, and to improve the quality in the squad. Especially because after five months, the situation has changed, from the start of the season. I think if there is the opportunity to strengthen the squad, we will do something. You know which is our policy, you know very well which is our policy, we will try to follow this policy and to improve the team, if there is the possibility to strengthen the squad we will do it. Otherwise, we will continue with these players, and I am happy with them.
When you say policy do you mean the policy of the club as in what the club normally does?
You know about the signing, signing players, and about young players. About players with not big salaries, and this. We have to sign players, that they can stay in our vision, in the vision of the club.
