Antonio Conte is spoilt for choice when it comes to his Tottenham team selection this season following the club’s summer transfer business. Adding six new players to his squad ahead of the new Premier League campaign, Spurs added a seventh on Tuesday evening when it was confirmed that Destiny Udogie had joined from Udinese, although he has since returned to the Italian side on loan. Opting against starting any of his new signings on the opening day against Southampton and then in the 2-2 draw at Chelsea, Tottenham fans will have their fingers crossed that there will be at least one or two full debutants in the XI on Saturday lunchtime at home to Wolves. Previewing the game in his pre-match press conference at Hotspur Way, Conte opened up on his team selection so far and explained when fans can expect to see rotations to his side.
Antonio Conte said: “I’m happy because for sure the first target is this transfer market for the club and for me it was to improve the squad and especially after the qualification for the Champions League was to create a squad where the level is the same level and I have the possibility to pick 11 players, but at the same time know that on the bench are players that if they come in they can change the situation, they can give the quality and the quality doesn’t drop after the substitutions. It’s very important and then you know very well for now we’re playing one game a week and I’m trying, especially at the start to play with the players that know me much better and know our idea of football much better. We are exploiting this time to bring players like Richy, Lenglet and Bissouma, Perisic and all the players we signed. The same also for Spence, to go into our idea of football. We are taking the right steps. We are ready for when we have games every three days to make rotations and it will be good for us.”
Antonio Conte admits he likes ‘focused, nasty’ Richarlison and that he expects to play with four strikers in many games for Tottenham this season. The Brazilian joined Spurs this summer from Everton in a deal worth £50m plus another £10m in potential add-ons and he made his debut from the bench in the 2-2 draw at Chelsea on Sunday. Richarlison helped turn the game at Stamford Bridge with his drive and aggression on and off the ball. Conte is a big fan of the 25-year-old and has made it clear that the Brazil international will get plenty of game time this season because he will use four forwards at times with Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski all on the pitch with Richarlison for a spell at Chelsea in a 4-2-4 formation.
Antonio Conte said: “For sure Richy is a player that made us focused, nasty. He’s a player I like. He’s always into the training session with his mind. For us I think this is a good sign. We are working also on the tactical aspect because the season will be long and there are many games that we have to play also with four strikers. In the end at Chelsea, we played with Lucas Moura as wing-back, Perisic – we are talking about in the past a striker, Richarlison, Kulusevski, Sonny, but to do this, it’s important to have organisation in the tactical aspect. The problem could be for the others (the opposition) when you have the ball, but without the ball also we must not lose the balance. The second goal we conceded against Chelsea, I think that we lost a bit of balance. We have to try to improve because for me to play with four strikers can become a good option during the game and to start some games. The most important thing is that the four strikers want to run and to make sacrifices without the ball. This is very important, but I have players with good stamina, with good quality and we are working also on this aspect.”
After the final whistle at Chelsea, Conte and his Blues counterpart Thomas Tuchel were both shown straight red cards following a disagreement over their handshake, which sparked a coming together between both sides. Both head coaches were handed an FA charge in the days after. When asked whether he had spoken to Tuchel since and whether he planned to,
Antonio Conte said: “No, no. Honestly, I think that both of us, for me, possibly for him, for me I am focused on the game against Wolverhampton. For me, no problem. It can happen, this type of situation. It is normal. I think I stay in football for 14 years and for me, it can happen this type of situation.”
Conte did not believe the final whistle incident, in which there was no arms raised, merited a charge from the FA.
Antonio Conte said: “Maybe someone wants to try to create a massive problem or a massive clash with me and him and instead for the FA the charge was soft because it was soft, the situation. Only to underline this because I have seen that someone tried to create a big clash between me and him and it wasn’t a big clash. A big clash is a big fight.”
Antonio Conte has admitted that he was a “bit scared” of Wolves ahead of his side’s 1-0 win on Saturday. Wolves dominated the first-half as Bruno Lage ’s side produced 12 shots in the opening 45 minutes. Record signing Matheus Nunes made his debut for the club after arriving from Sporting Lisbon, while Goncalo Guedes was also handed his first start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. However, Spurs improved after the break and eventually grabbed the only goal of the game through Harry Kane on 64 minutes. After the game, Conte praised his side for overcoming the threat posed by Wolves.
Antonio Conte said: “The performance in the end was good because I have to consider everything. First of all, the importance of the opponent because Wolverhampton in the last week signed three important players; Guedes, Nunes, if you see the starting XI today you have to be a bit scared because Wolverhampton with Neves, Nunes, it’s one of the best midfielders for this league. Also the players in front Guedes, Podence, Jimenez, I think it’s a really good team. The first-half we struggled a bit, we talked about playing quality football, fast, but in the second-half I think we deserved to win, we didn’t give them any chances to score. The first-half was good to stay calm and to suffer together. I don’t remember a great chance we conceded or a great save from Hugo instead in the second half. In the end it was good, don’t forget last season with the three teams, Southampton, Chelsea, Wolves that we have played we lost with me. Now, we’ve got seven points it’s a good sign, the team will continue to improve, it’s important that the fans understand we can struggle and they need to push us from beginning to end.”
