Cristian Stellini
Cristian Stellini has said that Tottenham fans must accept that his mind comes from his history with Antonio Conte amid fears from supporters that he might not stamp his own mark on the team. Stellini took the helm of Spurs last week following Conte’s exit and his first game in charge, a 1-1 draw at Everton, brought many of the hallmarks of his predecessor’s recent performances with a similar team selection, formation and struggles to create chances, even against 10 men, as well as an inability to hold on to a lead under pressure.
Christian Stellini said: “You have to accept that I was an assistant manager for a long time with Antonio so we have to accept that my mind came from this history. But I don’t think that as a manager, if you change something different, you have a different result [at Everton]. It is in the mind of the player and in the way you want to play a match that change this. It is not because you play with six strikers that you can attack better. Maybe you have to use the right way to attack and to keep position and to let the players understand which type of game are you playing. It is like when you play with one player more, you have to understand the game you have to play. This is much more important. This is about experience, this is about a moment you have to live and all the players have to think the same thing in the right moment, in the same moment. This is very important.”
On Saturday, Stellini will lock horns with a compatriot he has a history with in Roberto De Zerbi. The Brighton boss has been linked with the permanent Tottenham job. The duo first came up against each other on the pitch in 2009, Stellini playing on the left of defence for Bari towards the end of his playing career and De Zerbi a strong attacker for Avellino.
Christian Stellini added: “When he was a player he was aggressive. I challenged him sometimes and he was really aggressive. He was a good number 10 striker. He was good technically but very aggressive in the way he played and also talented. I don’t know how he is like a manager. I met him sometimes but I didn’t speak a lot with him. For sure his results were every time good results. He gave to his team a good characteristic. He’s very strong in the way he wants to play.”
When he first arrived in England, Stellini studied Graham Potter closely and the Spurs coach was asked what differences he saw in the current Brighton boss.
Christian Stellini said: “I think De Zerbi is not fluid (tactically) like Potter. De Zerbi is more a manager consistent in the way he wants to hurt the opponent. He is more focused with the ball and what they can do with the ball and being aggressive when they lose the ball. Potter was more fluid in the change of system but the players are smart to do it. You have to create intelligent player to do it. Yeah he improved a lot. He has a great personality like a manager and he arrive here in a new country and quickly he put his sign on his team. That is not easy for everyone and De Zerbi show also in England, in the Premier League he is a great manager.”
When asked whether his compatriot will eventually take charge of one of the Premier League’s established big clubs, Stellini simply responded: “I hope for him, but I don’t know.”
Stellini is learning what comes with life as the head coach but one thing he is not struggling with is sleep, something Conte would admit he was losing plenty of when it came to Tottenham.
Christian Stellini said: “Normally I sleep well in the night. Sometimes Antonio was jealous of this because he said, ‘why can you sleep?’ We are not the same. I’m joking, but normally I sleep because if I sleep I can use my mind better. I’ve lived in football for a long time. There are different pressures but I can say that working for Antonio, you live under pressure. I have this type of habit to live under pressure. Also I like sometimes to do it.”
Spurs are struggling with handling the pressure right now, conceding late goals to both relegation strugglers Southampton and Everton in the past fortnight. Stellini was asked how he can help the team when Conte could not.
Christian Stellini said: “Because we have a good squad. We have players with great experience and if they live the reality and realise what the reality is at the moment, they can react in the right way. This is what I expect from our team and I am confident on this aspect that they could do a good job because I look into their faces every day, I train them and I think they are coming to realise what is the reality now. We have something to do better, and something to follow what we are doing. If you are good to do better something and to be more creative in the attacking play, we can do a good job.”
Stellini is not compromising on his top four target when he was asked whether a Europa League spot would still be considered a success with the amount of teams now in the race.
Christian Stellini said: “This is not in my mind. I want to reach the target and I’m not thinking about anything else, I’m only focused on preparing training to push the players and to go strong and understand what we are, what we are doing and what we can do and what they have to do to push themselves all together and it’s important to have a team. Play like like a team and respect the plan in the game and this is what I’m focused on. We need an important result [on Saturday]. To have an important result, you have to strong and be consistent in the 90 minutes and for a long time, so for many matches. This is what I mean when I said we have to know the reality of where we are. We are now in this reality so we have to recover points, but also last season we had to recover points from Arsenal and we did it.”
So have Spurs made any progress from last season?
Christian Stellini said: “We are in the same place because nothing changed. We were in a position where we have to recover points and now we are in the same position. Nothing changed in the past. What has to change is our mind and we arrived with a wave to ride. Now we have to create that wave to ride.”
The midweek match between Chelsea and Liverpool was widely criticised as a dull affair but Stellini has no concerns about Saturday’s visit from the Seagulls producing a similar dud in front of the crowd.
Christian Stellini said: “I don’t think against Brighton you could have a type of match like this. I think it’s more a match with great energy and this is the type of match we want to play. Both teams will try to win this match. When you play to win, you have to risk something and take the right risk to win the match and create a lot. I think it will be this type of match instead of a boring match.”
