#PLStories- Antonio Conte on his subs, tactics, Spurs not scoring, signing Eriksen & new wing-backs #THFC
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Your team has gone from scoring so many goals in games to not being able to get a shot on target, can you pinpoint exactly why that is?
Yeah, I think that in the last two games we’ve struggled offensively because we’ve found two teams that are very good defensively. Without the ball these two teams defended very deep, with the whole team, with all their players. When you find this type of situation you need to create the space, also to have players to beat their man in one vs one, to create the superiority. I think this aspect we are working on, because this week, after the game against Brighton, we worked on this aspect to try to in training find 10 players behind the ball. In the end I think this is a consequence when you score many goals, you start to become a dangerous team and the opponent pays more attention. They try to have more balance when they face you. I think today we wanted to get three points but the draw was fair and we have to accept this result and to try to continue to work and improve in the situations we can improve.
Does it frustrate you though that you’ve worked on it in training but not been able to replicate it in the match?
I think not frustration. I know very well that to play this type of game is not easy, for the atmosphere, for the intensity, for the opponent, because the opponent played with a great intensity. This is a consequence when you start to climb the mountain. When you go up and up and for sure the difficulty starts to become more and more. We have to try to face this new challenge, because maybe in the past many teams played against us, not with superficiality but undervalued us. Now they pay more attention, but in one hand I’m happy because defensively we were good. To defend set pieces against this team was difficult. On the other hand I know we have to improve and try to create more chances to score but if you want to get three points, if we want to win, you have to score.
Teams know the system you favour, have you considered tweaking that or are you going to stick with the back three and the 3-4-3?
If you see in the last two games, I consider our work, our system good defensively because we didn’t concede a goal, but in the last two games we were a bit poor offensively. I think it’s not the problem of the system. It depends on the way that you attack. If you bring Davies to play and go and Cuti less for characteristics, I think we have to find the right balance offensively and defensively. Before we conceded more goals in games but we conceded a lot. Now defensively we were better. In the last three games, because especially we played against two teams with great attention, they played a really good game defensively.
Christian Eriksen had a fantastic game, is he the kind of playmaker Tottenham could do with?
First of all, I was pleased to see Christian play and to play in this way. You know very well to speak now about the transfer market about players that are not in my team, I think it’s a lack of respect for the team that the player is playing for and also for my players. For sure I worked with him two years at Inter Milan and I enjoyed this. I am very happy to see him in this fantastic form because don’t forget only eight months ago what happened. Now I am pleased to see Christian play football in this type of level.
Do you think he’s playing at the same level he was when he was with you at Inter Milan?
My opinion for sure Christian is showing great joy to play football. I think then this happens this type of situation and when you risk to finish to play football to play with your passion and to have another opportunity I think now he’s enjoying it totally.
How important is it for your system that you have top wing-backs?
Now I repeat is not fair to speak about the situation that we can improve or not. I think I’m very happy to have this group of players and I’m trying to exploit every single player and improve every single player. I think also for this reason today with five games to play we are talking about Tottenham are in the race for the Champions League [places]. Don’t forget that in November, the people has not to forget in November the big trouble that Tottenham was in. Now to stay with five games to go the possibility to stay in this race means the players improved a lot and we are doing a great job. But we have to know in this last month maybe if we gave 120 per cent maybe it’s not enough, we have to try to increase and go 150 per cent to try to reach this target.
Did you feel that you could have brought on Steven Bergwijn to give you that attacking edge to get that goal?
I think during the game you always need to have a good balance. I tried today with the first substitution because we were suffering a lot from free-kicks and throw-ins, to put Sanchez in and then move Davies as wing-back. Then to be more offensive I moved Kulusevski to wing-back for Lucas Moura. But don’t forget sometimes the most important thing is to continue to have a good balance because otherwise if you want to go only to win then sometimes you risk to lose the game.
What’s it like trying to work out a plan to stop Brentford with all their free-kicks and corners?
When you go to study your opponent and you got to study Brentford, you know very well the risks they have in set pieces, corners, throw-ins. In every situation they are very dangerous. For sure this week we worked to stop them, but despite this they were very dangerous at the same time. It’s not simple and easy to play against Brentford, also because they have a good idea of football, good manager, players and they are doing a fantastic season.
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