antonio conte happy
We saw you trying to lift the crowd and celebrate with passion, how important is that energy around the football club?
Yes, we celebrated the win because I think it was a difficult win but we knew this. I read the stats of Leeds and Leeds was the first team to bring high intensity and to run. In the first half we struggled a lot because they played better than us. They won the tackles, they lead the game, but also because in the first half we conceded too much possession. The second half we have changed the plan tactically and we started to put pressure, to go in every area of the pitch to put pressure and we created great difficultly to Leeds. We created chances to score goals. We scored two goals, maybe we deserved more goals, but for sure an important win because we needed this. After the first half, our fans weren’t satisfied by the football we played and I was agreeing with them. In the second half we changed totally. I’m pleased and pleased for the players. I changed the plan tactically but then they played well, they played with personality. They ran, they put pressure, created difficulties to Leeds in the second half. For this reason we won. I think to win in this way was was good. I bring with me and also my players two different situations. The first half and second half. I said to my players if we want we can. We have a lot of space for improvement. I’m pleased because many players are involved today. Tanganga, Sanchez when he came in, Winks – he struggled a lot with the rest of the team in the first half, second half he played with a lot of personality and played well. Also Sessegnon to come back into the team after injuries was good for us. Good win and it’s right to celebrate with passion. I have great passion and I want to transfer my passion in all this environment, because how you can be good tactically and have quality and good organisation, but passion and heart, you have or don’t have.
How important is it to get momentum with tough wins like this?
Yeah, this win is very important. I repeat: we struggle today in the first half and we played two different games. In the first half they beat us on the tactical aspect. In the second half we tried the solution to change the game. To play against Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa is not easy. We must be satisfied. This is a point to start for the rest of the season. I’m sure that to continue to work in the way we’re working on the tactical, physical and mentality aspects I think we can have good improvement for the rest of the season. We know very well, this season we have to fight and fight a lot but we want to make our fans proud. After the first half, our supporters was disappointed but it was the same for me and my players. To have this reaction, this spirit and this character, this means you have heart and passion and now we have to put this in every moment to improve. The only word that is in this moment important for us is work, work, work. Work very hard, work together and fight together to make our fans proud.
How long is it going to take you to get the players fit enough to keep that intensity you demand for the whole 95 minutes?
That’s true, and for sure at the start of the game I was scared. I was afraid about this aspect. In these three weeks, we have worked also on the physical aspect but we worked with the players that we had with us. The rest of the players were with the national teams. When I arrived in Tottenham, we played two games – Vitesse and then Everton – and we couldn’t work on this aspect. For sure we need to improve because I like to bring this intensity. I had a bit of perplexity [whether] to use this intensity for the start. I didn’t know if we could bring this intensity for the whole game. First half, for sure but it was my decision. We were more compact. We left them to lead the possession. Second half I totally changed the situation and the tactical aspect and also I said to them we had to go, man to man, and play with the same intensity. If we wanted to beat Leeds, we had to beat Leeds at what they’re good at doing.
Can you challenge for a top four spot and Champions League football?
Now, to speak, to think, for sure we want to fight, we want to try to improve the position in the table. I think – and I must be honest – in England the League is very, very difficult. Every game is very tough. You can lose points with all the teams. At this moment, there are four teams that for many reasons, because they are working with the same coaches, because they invested a lot of money, in this moment there are four teams and there is a gap. But I’m not scared about this. I trust in my players, I trust in this squad. We want to fight. We want to fight to try to stay close to the positions and fight for Champions League. Then if there’s one team that slips up this season or makes mistakes, we must be there to try to do our best. I repeat: I don’t want to tell, ‘ok but if we finish in this position it’s good’. We need to improve. The club called me to improve the situation for the present but also for the future. Now I’m happy. I like to work with Tottenham because I know that here I can work in the way that I like. I’m sure we can improve a lot and fight to be competitive in every competition. Tottenham in my idea has to fight and be competitive in every competition this season.
