antonio conte happy
You asked for your players to fight, did you get that today?
Yeah a good answer, a good answer from my players. After two defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City, don’t forgot we are talking about first and second in the table, I asked my players to show me some characteristics I saw last season. The desire, the will to help each other on the pitch and to suffer in the moments in the game you have to suffer. Today we didn’t suffer a lot but I have seen that they were ready and they are ready so it has to be a starting point for us.
Don’t forgot we played against a team who are in my opinion a real surprise this season. With a win, they could overcome us in the table. To win away here is not easy so for this reason I am really happy, really happy because I repeat I saw again the characteristics that brought us last season a place in the Champions League.
Harry Kane equalled Jimmy Greaves’ record, how big is that achievement?
Yeah but today he was amazing. I think he scored a fantastic goal, the execution to control the ball, then to kick it in that way, only a world-class striker can score this type of goal. About the spirit that I spoke before, I want to underline Harry today played with a fever and he was not so good but he wanted to play because he understood the moment. He understood that he is a point of reference for us, for me, for the other players. I think with Hugo, they are the two players who are a point of reference for the dressing room. Today I am really happy because I think he was rewarded with a goal.
He’s level with Greaves, his single-mindedness is amazing?
Yeah but we are talking about a player that has fantastic ability and skills. For sure, I would like to help him and me also and his team-mates to try to do something important, to win something with Tottenham because he loves Tottenham. Tottenham is in his heart and it should be good if together we were able to win something because then it is important to have this record but I think it could be more important if you are good to lift a trophy.
Can you do that together?
Yes, I think we have to be dreamers. I spoke to the players and I said today has to be a starting point for us. Many times, many times especially after the defeats, you can learn much more than from a win. After the game against Manchester City and also especially the game against Arsenal, it was important to make good reflection with our players and to understand maybe something we lost. We lost something compare to last season. Not offensively because last season we were one of the best and today this season we are third in attack in the league but we lost something defensively. I repeat when I say defensively I want to involve the whole team. For this reason I spoke with the players to find again their resilience, to show again their desire and their will to defend the result. Yeah, I have intelligent players, smart players and good men. Today they gave me a good answer but I repeat it has to be a starting point.
Then on Saturday we have an important game and we want to go to the next round, the FA Cup away against a Championship team is not easy. If we want to be the dreamers we have to know this is an important game for us because the FA Cup is a cup game, then we have also Champions league, 17 games to go in the Premier League and it is up to us. If I see this desire again, this commitment, this unity and the will to help each other, I think that we have time to have another good season.
Was it just on the pitch that you sensed something changed or was it in a meeting or training session where you saw it?
After the defeat to Manchester City and it was a strange defeat because also Guardiola said they were lucky to win the game. About the performance I was happy, but when you concede four goals it means that maybe there is something wrong. When you concede 21 goals in the last 10 games maybe there is something wrong and for this reason we spoke, we spoke with the players.
I should that compared to last season we are lacking defensively. When I speak defensively I mean the whole team and don’t concede a goal, all of the team, not only the defenders and the goalkeeper. I have good players, but especially I have good men and they are smart people. They know that when I speak, I don’t like to tell lies or good lies, but truth.
I think after Manchester City I was really, not strong, but I said the truth because I repeat the stats speak clear. Maybe we are doing something less (compared) to last season. We have to find again the same spirit. Today I had a good answer but they know well this needs to be just a starting point for us if we want to be competitive for the rest of the season.
Why has that defensive strength not been the same?
Last season, it was the spirit and also many of my friends tell me, or people I ask to watch the game and I tell them to tell me their consideration, many people tell me the team compared to last season is not so solid, the will, the desire to defend, to get three points despite the difficulty, is not the same as last season.
Because also my feeling is this but I repeat, when you concede 21 goals in 10 games, it means there is something wrong and can not only be a tactical aspect. For this reason I think that we work, we worked about the mentality and in the mind, in the heart and in the desire to sacrifice for the team to help each other. I think that it has to be a starting point this, but we will see quickly. On Saturday we have a tough game away and we have to be ready to show also that we learned about those two defeats against Arsenal and Manchester City.
How did the players react to the meeting and what you told them?
First of all, I wasn’t angry, this has to be very clear. In these situations, sometimes you are a bit upset but I wasn’t angry. I showed only the stats and when there is the stats it’s the truth, when it says 21 goals in the last 10 games, you have to accept and to understand that maybe we can do much more, but together and me also.
Maybe I didn’t work on some aspects and for this reason when I have a good relationship with the players and I tell them always the truth, they know that if I want to, they accept it because they’re really good players and smart people. Then today they tried to give me an answer and today they give me an answer very well but this has to be not the only game despite a difficult game today against Fulham. For this reason now my expectation is to build on this win for the rest of the season, to be competitive and to make our fans proud of our team.
