antonio conte happy
Is there any positive news in terms of injuries?
About Rodrigo Bentancur, he has started to work, he is not still ready for this game and also for the game in FA Cup but we hope to have him for next game in the Premier League. About Richarlison, we have to see. We have to check the situation and to, for sure in the future, he will have another MRI to understand very well which is his situation. About Kulusevski, it is not a serious injury but we have to monitor it day by day today and tomorrow and we have to take the best decision. We have these three injuries.
Is Dejan Kulusevski available to feature against Crystal Palace?
I don’t know, honestly. Now, I don’t know because we have today and tomorrow to check his situation. For sure, we will see. The injury is not serious. Then, if the player gives his availability, he could play. Otherwise we have to wait and to have patience for the next game.
On Sunday, you suggested you need more help in the transfer window – have you spoken to Daniel Levy?
I didn’t suggest anything. I didn’t suggest anything. This is the difference. I understand that maybe my English is not so good and maybe you don’t understand which is my thought. I didn’t suggest anything. I said only what we are doing, which is the project, which is the programme. But I didn’t suggest anything. I said where we are, what we are doing and stop. I don’t want to comment again on other situations also because understanding that I try to explain one situation and you understand a different situation, like now because you said ‘I am suggesting’. I am not suggesting anything. The club knows which is the situation and I repeat: there is a project and I explained which is this project, that the club has this project to create a foundation. Not me or other persons. I think the situation was very clear and I don’t want to come back again today.
Is it a project you want to be a part of?
This is a problem (discussion) between me and the club, you understand? Now I am really committed for this club and for Tottenham. Then there is this project and I signed a contract with this club and I have to accept this project to try to build with the club and to help the club in this project. Then you know during this process it can happen 1,000 things. The club can sack the manager or there are different visions, different situations.
Are you happy?
I am happy but I always say to you I am happy. I am happy to stay here. I am enjoying my time in Tottenham, I am happy the way that I am working. I am always saying this. Yeah, I am happy, I am happy but it doesn’t mean I cannot tell you what we are doing. We are trying to create a base foundation. Maybe from the start of my experience here it is I am repeating always the same thing and it is difficult for me every day to answer the same thing. Then to understand that you are not understanding. It is difficult, believe me. It is difficult. Then I continue to repeat I am happy to stay here because I am at a modern club, it is good to work with these players and I have a good relationship with. But I explain which is the programme, I explain the way that we are. Stop. I didn’t suggest anything but what I have to tell you. Sometimes I go to my home and yeah, I think for sure I have to study much more English because I am not good to transfer my thoughts to you because I am not good or you don’t want to understand what I say.
What have you made of Son’s form?
Son for sure is trying to find the best form. After the injury he had against Marseille, he struggle a bit and also in the World Cup he didn’t score. But we are talking about a player that if we put him in this discussion, we are in trouble because Sonny and Kane are the two most important players with Hugo Lloris. If we start to put into discussion them or to have doubts about them, then I think we are really in trouble.
You said in one interview on Sunday “we don’t have many players who are really good to beat the man, we don’t have many creative players in our team”. Do you address that with players returning from injury or in the transfer window?
I remember very well that I said in our team when we miss two or three important players we have problems. Other situations I don’t remember [what I said], honestly. If you want to put words in my mouth, I’m not the right person. I remember I said if you have four players, the strikers who are usually the creative players, and two are injured, we are in trouble. Because we have two players [left] and then we have Gil – who is a good player who understands football very well but he is a young player and you have to try to give him time, to wait and then have a ready player. Now Gil is playing. The last game, honestly he satisfied my expectation and probably he’s going to play tomorrow, I don’t know but it’s possible, but I remember I said not that I feel the lack of [certain] players. I said when we have two players injured especially up front, we are in difficulty. You can see this. I don’t know why you have to put words I never said [to me]. I said without two players, especially up front, we are in trouble.
Bentancur injured, Bissouma suspended, so you must use Skipp or Sarr, is Sarr ready to start a Premier League game?
This is another opportunity to see a young player, Skipp or Sarr tomorrow. This is normal. We knew this. In midfield, we have five players: Pierre, Rodrigo, Bissouma, Skippy, and then Sarr. If one is injured and one is banned, then it’s a good opportunity to see another young player and to make an evaluation. For me it’s important to understand the improvement they’re going to do. This is the road we’re following. This is normal. I repeat, tomorrow we’ll see another young player and we’ll make an evaluation then. Skipp in my opinion last season played two or three months very well before he had an injury. But we’re talking about a player who is 21, 22. Like Gil, like Sarr, like Sessegnon, Spence and all the U21s.
You spoke about your key players in Son, Kane and Lloris, but Lloris made a mistake on Sunday and Son has not been at his best, when you have these other players injured do you need these key players to step up?
For sure a team like us and we need in every game, injuries or not injuries, the most important players to give their best, but you know across a season in 60 games that you can’t play every game at the peak of your form and make a difference. This is normal. This is normal. But for sure we are talking about three players in Sonny, Kane and Hugo who can make the difference. Our expectations are always very high for them. I think their commitment, their will, their desire is always the same. They know the role they have in the squad.
You took Eric Dier out of the starting line-up, how did he react to that and is he ready to come back in and show what he can do?
Yeah but many many people have already forgotten the difficulty of the World Cup. Everybody, we said this season will be really, really difficult, because of the World Cup and the players come back really tired, mentally and physically.
For sure we have to try to analyse also this aspect and find the best solution, because for some players the World Cup could have had an impact. For others another impact. Then I have to make the best decision for the team. The players who worked here worked very well. In this moment there are players that some are in a good physical condition, others who should work instead they have to play.
When we talk about a difficult season then don’t forget what’s happening in the season. Then the final result is you’re doing well or you’re doing bad. We have already forgotten that we are playing with the players that have just finished a World Cup. The World Cup takes from you a lot of mental and physical energy.
Now the coach, the manager, they have to try to manage the situation. It’s on us now. Other difficult choices because we speak about the welfare of the players but then we forget quickly about the welfare for the interests of the the business, the money.
