Antonio Conte believes a solid foundation can aid Tottenham Hotspur in their rebuild

Speaking in an interview (h/t football.london), Antonio Conte believes Tottenham Hotspur have been slipping in the last couple of years due to the departure of important players.

The Italian took control of the North London club at the start of last month, succeeding Nuno Espirito Santo at the Lane. However, this is not his first foray into English football. He has previously found success with Chelsea, including winning the Premier League title and FA Cup.

Tottenham were not too far behind the Blues at the time. Spurs secured three consecutive finishes in the Top 3 before reaching the Champions League final in 2019. However, since then, we have had to let go of some important players namely Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen among others.

Conte has now revealed that the club are slipping and need to be rebuilt on a solid foundation. 

“The club, in the last years, has been slipping. If I compare Tottenham to when I was in Chelsea, Tottenham was very, very competitive, was a really really strong team and I think that to lose important players or some became old and then to have a change of generation, I think Tottenham now is paying a bit for this.”

One of the major aspects Conte mentioned is the importance of a solid foundation. Once that is in place, the rebuild can gather steam and eventually emerge into something special. After all a building is only as robust as the foundation it is built on.

“Now we have to create, to start again. To think that we have to create a solid base and then to build because if we do not have a solid base, it is impossible to build something important.”

We do need to build again

The recruitment in the summer was sound as Paratici signed several young and promising players. They not only form part of the present but also give the club hope for the future. But it is going to take some time for them to adjust to a new league and a new country, not to mention new expectations. 

Meanwhile, our existing lot are also lacking in confidence. Harry Kane does not look like the goal monster he was, while Lucas Moura is lacking attacking intent. Meanwhile, the talented Giovani lo Celso is yet to kick on from his early promise.

Our defence needs to be far more disciplined, but Conte could surely take care of this. His title-winning sides have found success due to their incredible structure at the back, and coaching a backline is right up the Italian manager’s alley. 

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Thus, a lot of work needs to be done and to paraphrase Conte, a solid base needs to be formed. We still stand a chance to lift a trophy this season, and if that can be achieved, the 52-year-old will have a skip in his step ahead of a full pre-season. Players can be brought in, and a squad can be assembled that could compete amongst the big boys again.

In football, a club can either be a destination or a stepping stone. As things stand, Spurs are more of the latter at this moment in time. Achieving success on the field could however help change that perception.