Despite Saturday’s early deficit, the season got off to a perfect start for Tottenham Hotspur in Week 1 when they knocked out a young but tricky Southampton side. Spurs spent most of their summer improving squad depth in the transfer window in hopes the club would compete in a variety of different competitions in England and Europe. Spurs have been making waves this summer with their transfer window activity, headlining the purchases of players like Richarlison and Yves Bissouma who are expected to improve the squad. But Spurs also grabbed headlines in pre-season because of Antonio Conte’s hellish training regimen.
After taking over the team in November last season, Conte said the team still have a long way to go in terms of physicality and fitness. At the time, Spurs were one of the least fit sides in the Premier League under Nuno Espírito Santo. At the time of Nuno’s sacking, Spurs ranked last in the league with an average distance covered per game of around 100km. Spurs were static, looked lethargic and, above all, looked unenthusiastic under the Portuguese manager. After just a month of Conte, Spurs’ average distance covered per game stat was top of the league. We forget how integral Conte has been behind the scenes in terms of building his project at Spurs. As well as the performances on the pitch which saw Spurs return to the Top 4 conversation, Conte also made the team fitter while improving the performance of a variety of players who were seemingly on the verge of leaving the club.
It’s long been said that the offseason/pre-season is where Conte really puts his stamp on his side. Once during their pre-season trip to South Korea, the process became visible, led by one of Conte’s right-hand men, Tottenham fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone. Nicknamed ‘The Marine’, Ventrone’s influence was on full display when a number of players (even Harry Kane) were seen vomiting and thrashing after a series of sprints at the end of a practice session. opened in Seoul.
Along with the conditioning and training regiments, this period is when Conte’s ideals and playing patterns are instilled in the team. This is done through hours and hours of “shadow play”, which has become an integral part of Conte’s methods. The Italian is certainly a demanding coach, but he is the type of manager and figurehead who knows what is expected of his players. Under Nuno, Spurs players had excuses to use as to why they weren’t shooting or out of form. Under Conte, the players have no excuses to cling to due to the Italian’s demands and his understanding of what it takes and is needed to succeed at the top level of the sport.
Saturday’s win over the Saints already proves Spurs’ fitness is paying off in their favour. Against a team that opted to go the younger route this season, Spurs were a little quiet at the start of this game, but really turned things around when they scored a goal. No wonder that goal came from James Ward-Prowse, who seems to score every time Spurs face So’ton.
Despite a 1-0 defeat, there was no panic. The system continued to work in the same way as intended, but as Spurs picked up more and more momentum it became clear that the pressure was coming to the Saints and eventually Spurs easily overtook their opposition. The first two goals came from opportunities that didn’t crop up so frequently last season. Both goals were created via dangerous passes inside the box, which was not so much in the club’s philosophy last season.
In the second half, the Saints’ chances of getting back into the game were reduced to a minimum. But on the other side, it looked like Spurs could score every time they advanced. From the moment Spurs kicked off at half-time, a simple pattern of play down the left side led to striker Ryan Sessegnon getting behind the defence. Sessegnon believed for a second that he had his double, but he was declared offside.
As the half went on, Spurs ran more and more and it was the Saints who seemed out of ideas. This was particularly felt around the 80th minute when Dejan Kulusevski, despite his team at 4-1 at the time, was still running and pressing around the edge of the box. He looked fresh doing it, like he just stepped onto the pitch.
Now that we’ve had almost a full season to figure out Conte and his tactics, it’s become very clear that Spurs’ creativity comes from the system as a whole rather than from the backs of individual players. Spurs relied on Christian Eriksen as a hooker during Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure. Under Jose Mourinho, attacking can be described as ‘getting the ball to Kane and letting him make things happen’. But for Conte, creativity doesn’t come from just one player. Templates provide the team with a variety of ways to stand out and beat the opposition. We know Kane and Heung-min Son’s link-up play well, but against Saints Spurs they also received a consistent end product from their wingers and dominated individual duels in the wide areas. In particular, Kulusevski was flawless in Spurs’ opener. This is all done with the midfield duo of Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, who are seen more as ball obstructors and recyclers and have sometimes been criticized by Spurs supporters for their deference in pushing the ball up. the front.
Now that Spurs have had a full pre-season training regiment under Conte, their intensity and drive are on full display. But it’s a trait of Conte’s Spurs that has endured since last season, as Spurs have truly become game after game. The best examples are last year’s season-ending games against Newcastle, Aston Villa and Leicester. Against Newcastle, Spurs fell behind due to a well-executed free-kick, but they came back into the game almost immediately, equalizing before half-time and then scoring four goals in the second half. Against Villa, Spurs took an early lead on a strike from Son but managed to weather the storm against Steven Gerrard’s side despite their aggression and a number of crisp chances. Villa couldn’t keep up the intensity for the duration of this game as Spurs had easy chances in the second half and quickly put the game away with the final score 4-0. Against Leicester, Spurs were all over Brendan Rodgers’ side from the start and opened them up to a number of breakaway opportunities.
With the inclusion of five substitutes this season, Spurs’ intensive nature and depth gives them the potential to do some special things. Throughout his tenure as manager, Conte’s second season at the clubs is when the fruits of his labor really start to pay off. It would be unfair to expect Spurs to win the league, but there is growing evidence that all signs are pointing in the right direction and this project is really starting to take off.
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