antonio conte happy
Five goals, clean sheets, wing-backs creating chances, was that everything an Antonio Conte Tottenham performance should look like?
For sure it was a really good performance tonight. We scored five goals, we created chances to improve the final result. Many, many positive aspects and I have seen with my staff that when we have more days, more time to prepare for the game, to play against us is difficult for everybody. The problem when we have to prepare to play in two or three days is not simple. Don’t forget that with this team I didn’t start the season. I haven’t had the possibility to have one month to work with the team in pre-season and try to work and instil my idea of football. We did this playing games, important games for three points. I think that I am seeing my work. I am seeing what we are working on every day, what we are trying in this situation where I’m trying to improve them. Tonight was good for many aspects but I think also in the other games we played a good game. At the same time I want to tell you what I said to my players ‘ok this is the past and enjoy the game tonight but from tomorrow you have to think about Saturday’s game against United’. They’re a really strong team, a team that in my opinion, a squad that is ready to fight for the Premier League and every competition that they play in. It will be a real challenge for us and I want to see the answer, the answer about my players and also myself. Now we have 12 games to play until the end of the season. I listen and you ask me in every press conference about the top four race. I said to my players that it’s right to take responsibility about this because I think that from when I arrived to now we are stronger. In January two players made us more complete. I think that we can fight. We can fight for this target. It’s important to have this ambition and it’s not right to hide our ambition and ok we’ll see what happens. We’ll try to do everything and at the end we’ll see what happens. Now we have only 12 games to play, not a trophy to play for. For this reason it’s right to take the responsibility, me, myself, I have to be the first. You know I don’t like to speak about ambition and reaching a place in the Champions League because I like to play to win the league and win trophies, but in this situation this could be our Champions League, our Premier League title if we are able to reach fourth place.
Why do you think it’s so much better when you have time to prepare?
Because when I have time, more days to prepare the game, then you can plan a problem and arrive in the right moment physically, tactically, mentally to play an important game. I said to you before when we have four or five days it was then difficult to play against us. For sure I repeat when you stay for a long time with one team and then the players know your philosophy and now we are going day by day to improve, working but on Saturday at the same time we have to play a game for three points. I think that I have the possibility to have one month in pre-season to work with my players about my idea. Now after four and a half months, I’m starting to see what we are working on. For me it’s a pleasure when the players enjoy to play football, not only to win but at the same time to find the solutions that we find during the training sessions. For sure we can improve and we have a lot of space for improvement but now I said to the players that we’ve reached a good level and for this reason now it’s right to take the responsibility and now with United, Arsenal, West Ham and the other teams that want to fight for the top four we have to go into the situation and get the best.
Just how good is Harry Kane as he has gone above Thierry Henry in the list of Premier League top goalscorers?
We are talking about a world-class striker. But at the same time I tell you after Manchester City he scored twice and Harry didn’t score against Burnley. At Leeds he scored again and he didn’t score against Middlesbrough. Tonight he scored and my expectation is to see on Saturday a great game, not only for Harry but for all the team. It’s right to celebrate but at the same time we have to be focused and from tomorrow we have to start to think Saturday it will be a crucial game for us and I repeat, it’s right to celebrate the players that they are doing fantastic things. But at the same time I want my players to celebrate but don’t lose the focus, don’t lose our target. We have 12 games to play and they have to be finals for us. I repeat, now I put this target to my team that we have to try stay until the end very close to the top team and to try and do something important. I repeat, to finish in the top four for us it would be we won the Champions League or Premier League this season.
How is Ryan Sessegnon?
Ryan Sessegnon we have to make evaluation tomorrow. I hope nothing serious as it is a muscular problem. I hope nothing serious because every time this player is having continuity of performance and then something wrong or little injury. I hope is nothing serious. I was happy for Sergio Reguilon because after Covid he came in and scored. He’s another player who has a lot of space for improvement and my expectation that he improves his level. [Matt] Doherty is another player who I’d like to underline the improvement and then also we have Emerson. Now the competition into the team is important. I think now I am starting to see a bit of competition into the team and if you want to become strong it is important to have competition and not players that they are sure they are going to play every game, every game, every game. They have to deserve and the competition be very good to improve our level.
