antonio conte happy
What were your first impressions of your new team tonight?
My first impression, a crazy game a crazy game because we were winning 3-0 and I think we were dominating the game, created many chances to score. Other goals. Instead in 10 mins we conceded two goals. In that moment, the confidence we lost a bit of confidence. I think we have to work also in this aspects. But we should win, we should win, and we won. For sure. We risk in the second half after a red card to stay with 10 men, they tried to push us, and then I decided to change, to make three changes. because I have seen we have lost the balance. And at the end, I think we deserved to win because at the end we created many chances, more chances than Vitesse. But [people] who know me very well, [know that] I don’t like when this type of game, this crazy game, I call them a crazy game. I want a stable team, I want when there’s a possibility to kill opponent, you must kill. But for sure, my players showed me great commitment, great resilience, and I think this is a good aspect. I think this team needs to win also suffering. It was important today.
How much potential has this team got?
For sure, this club has great potential. I was enthusiastic about the stadium, about the training ground, maybe in the world I don’t know if another club has this. I think it was one of the reasons, because also I accepted them to come here. Because I know that here, I can work in the way that I like. And the club is a top club. And I want to repay the club about the trust that they showed me. And for sure now in this moment, we have to focus on the pitch, on the football aspect, to try to bring at the same level is very difficult. I think the club with the stadium, with the training ground, is for me the best in the world maybe. I have never seen this type of situation. The players and I, we should work, we should work a lot, we want to improve the football aspect. I think the support, the fans also tonight, they showed that they deserve this.
Is it a frustration for you that you’ve just got the team on the international break is coming?
Yes but only for one reason: because I have just arrived, only two days. In one day I have to prepare the game against Everton, and then many players they have to go with national teams. We need time. We need time to work. We need time to work. This is the only aspect that, not I’m afraid, but I’d like to have time to work. This team and I, we need to work together to bring them my idea of football and to work tactical aspects, physical aspects, to know them, much better than now. This is the only aspect that I am a bit scared, a bit afraid. But I know that there is this type of situation, and for this reason, we need a bit of patience. And I know that I have to be patient. Because is a situation that we don’t have too much time to work. But the positive aspect: I know that through the work we can improve a lot, we have a lot of space for improvement. This team is young, good players, but we need to work altogether.
Did any players impress you tonight?
Honestly, I don’t like to speak about one player or another player. I think that the best thing for us to speak about the whole team, and I like to speak and to use with ‘us’, not with ‘I’ or this player or another player. For sure the good aspects they showed me, they showed me a good resilience, they showed me that after the red card, they suffered together, they showed they were compact in their suffering. For sure, the negative aspect, when you are winning 3-0 and the game is over, the game is over and instead tonight, we risked to open the game again. I told you: one negative, and a positive aspect of this game.
Do you believe this Tottenham team is in a better or worst place than your Inter Milan side?
In this moment, it’s impossible to have this comparison. In Inter Milan, I had a finished product after two years. I worked there. For sure in two years many players improved a lot. My hope – not my hope – I am sure if I have time to work with these players, if I have time, I am sure that I we have a lot of space for improvement for every single player. For sure, if you improve every single player, it means the whole team becomes stronger. We need to do this. We need to find time to work. This is the real problem in this moment. Also because we need to work, on many aspects. If I want to see on the pitch my team, I know I need time, but at the same time, today in a part of the game I have seen what we tried, what we prepared, in these two days. We did good things but at the same time we did things that we can improve a lot.
