Antonio Conte says he hasn't forgotten what Tottenham fans said after he joined them

By Shamanth Jayaram

Antonio Conte appears to have had a go at Tottenham Hotspur fans’ unrealistic expectations as his future as the club’s boss is up in the air.

The Italian is one of the best managers in the world. He’s a proven winner and has shown his class at almost every club he has previously been at.

That raised the excitement around Tottenham when he was appointed as the manager over 16 months ago, but things just haven’t worked out, have they?

Antonio Conte says he hasn’t forgotten what Tottenham fans said after he joined them

It has been 15 years since Tottenham last won any silverware and they’ve managed to win just two trophies in the last 30 years – the League Cups in 1999 and 2008.

That is a shocking record for a big club, and it’s no surprise at all that Spurs fans are livid.

Conte‘s appointment in November 2021 was meant to end their trophy drought. A proven winner like him was exactly what Tottenham needed, but the Italian believes fans set unrealistic expectations in their head.

He says success requires patience but there’s none of that at Tottenham at the moment.

Conte said in his press conference, as quoted by Football London: “The problem for me is only one – that every club where I coached, I won. Expectation has always been very, very high.

“I remember very well when I arrived at this club, everybody said: ‘Now we have Conte – he won in the past, so now we are going to win!’

“But we have to win together. We have to create the right situation. I can teach you the path to win, but you have to follow me, and have patience. I need time and patience and I understood I had that. Maybe I do have time, because the club can give me that, but I think there is no patience at the club.

“I repeat, that makes the situation really, really difficult for me. Maybe my past penalises me, you understand? If I was a coach who was a good coach but without a win in my career, I think it would be the perfect situation to enjoy working and growing together.

“But my past is different. My past brings expectation, high expectations. Then if I understand it, I will become the first person to [target]. I don’t want to kill myself. I am really happy to work here and stay here, but at the same time, I have to take all the considerations, also for myself. If I have to put the stress and pressure only to myself, it is not right.”

TBR View:

Conte may have a point here.

When the Italian was named as Spurs’ new manager, expectations went through the roof. Numerous people expected Spurs to become a powerhouse – good old Jamie O’Hara even went as far as saying ‘Tottenham Hotspur are back‘ and sent out a warning to Arsenal.

It’s not Conte’s fault that everyone thought he’d end their trophy drought in 18 months’ time, but as the manager of a club that spent over £150 million last summer, it’s hard to justify getting knocked out of the two cup competitions by Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United.

All signs point towards Conte leaving Tottenham this summer, and that’s probably the best thing for all parties involved.