‘Got to change’: Jamie O’Hara says there’s two Tottenham players Antonio Conte really doesn’t want in his starting line-up

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Jamie O’Hara has told TalkSPORT that Antonio Conte really doesn’t want Tottenham Hotspur duo Lucas Moura and Bryan Gil in his starting line-up. 

The Italian was expected to stick with the 3-4-3 system on Saturday as Spurs travelled to Bournemouth.

Conte had named a three-man midfield in the last two Premier League outings, but his side lost consecutive games against Manchester United and Newcastle United.

But the Spurs boss went with the 3-5-2 system against the Cherries, leaving Moura and Gil on the bench. And O’Hara believes that Conte doesn’t think the pair are good enough to start for Tottenham. 

O’Hara says Conte doesn’t want to start Gil or Moura

Speaking on TalkSPORT today, O’Hara said: “You’ve got Conte who I think is a brilliant manager. The issue that we’ve got is everyone expects Tottenham to play like Man City and Barcelona. 

“We’re just not that, we haven’t got them players. We are a defensive outfit and we’ve started the game [against Bournemouth] with eight defensive players – that I don’t agree with.

“Conte has got to change that. I don’t think he’s confident in the bench in terms of starting them, like Lucas Moura and Bryan Gil.

“I don’t think he wants to start these players because he doesn’t think they’re good enough. So, he goes with that defensive look and we only had Harry Kane and [Heung-Min] Son, who are really attacking players.”

“In the first-half, we were an absolute disgrace. We are a joke.

“Then we come and he changes it second-half, we play on the front-foot with nothing to lose. The shackles are off and then we look brilliant.”

“It’s almost like we need to go 1-0 down to give us that kick up the backside that we need to go and actually play like Tottenham should play.

“But everyone’s quick to dig us out. Tottenham are this, Tottenham are that. But that’s an unbelievable result – 2-0 down and win 3-2!”

Moura got the nod on Wednesday night against Sporting but failed to impress after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Gil has put in some promising displays from the bench in the Champions League but it seems that Conte feels he isn’t ready to start just yet.

The Italian is currently without both Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison, with both players sidelined. He will be desperate to have the pair back as there has been noticeable drop-off in quality on the right-hand side.