Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has claimed that there is a ‘lack of confidence’ at the club which has led to the squad being ‘weakened’ in recent times. Conte stepped into the Spurs dugout last November following the sacking of Nuno Espirito-Santo.
Antonio Conte said:“It’s always difficult to make comparisons, but if I had to find something similar, it would be the lack of confidence that is inevitable when you start work at a club that hasn’t won in a long time. I saw some situations from the outside that could be developed, but when you get into it, you realise that something… What happened in January was not easy. We lost four players in January. Four important players for Tottenham, and we brought in only two. So even just in terms of numbers, rather than reinforce the squad, we on paper weakened it. Bentancur and Kulusevski are ideal prospects for Tottenham, because Tottenham are seeking young players they can develop and grow, not players who are ready. That is the issue.”
Asked in the interview if he would be able to challenge the league’s rivals for a Champions League spot with the squad left after the January transfer window closed, Conte gave an honest answer.
Antonio Conte added: “That is the issue. This is the vision and the philosophy of the club. It is inevitable that if you want to grow quicker and if you want to be competitive more rapidly, you need players with a lot of experience, because they also raise the experience level of the overall team. But I repeat, I have realised now that this is the vision of the club.”
