Antonio Conte warns transfer window cannot solve all issues at Tottenham Hotspur after 2-0 Chelsea loss

Antonio Conte has issued a warning that the transfer window would not solve all the problems at Tottenham Hotspur following the 2-0 loss to Chelsea in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals. His team was handed a reality check after the Champions League winners made sure to convey the difference in quality between the two squads.

Tottenham saw their chances of making it to the finals dimmed early into the match when Marcos Alonso fed Kai Havertz, whose shot took a major deflection off Davinson Sanchez. Things got worse in the first half when Japhet Tanganga headed a free-kick from Hakim Ziyech straight to Ben Davies, who watched helplessly as the ball went past Hugo Lloris into the net.

Speaking in the post-match presser (h/t Football.London), Conte has claimed that the team has to get better in several areas, and those aspects cannot be solved by just signing players in the transfer window. He added that they have to keep working on it moving forward, and there is a lot of other things that they have to focus on improving.

“There is a lot of job to do. If someone thinks the transfer market can solve the situation… First of all, in January it’s very difficult to buy. Very, very difficult. Then you have to see if there’s the possibility to buy players that you need. I don’t see in the transfer window the resolution of our problems. The resolution of our problems now is to work and improve all many aspects of our squad. I repeat there is a lot of job to do. If you think if you buy one or two players and you solve the situation, you are not right.”

Honest verdict

While incomings would help us to improve in certain aspects, the Italian manager is right about the fact that there are other issues in this team, which cannot be solved just through signings. There were phases in the match when we got tactically outclassed by the hosts.

Our inability to take control over the match has been highlighted yet again as we failed to get the better of the West London club. Continuing the pattern from our last few games, we began this clash on the backfoot, which proved to be costly because of the goal scored by Havertz.

One thing that needs improvement would be our mentality. We need to go into games thinking we are there to win it, and that we possess the ability and the personnel to overcome the opponent. The players need to believe in themselves and their teammates that they can beat whatever team is put in front of them.

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And while Conte is correct in his point, and it is clear that there is a lot to be done tactically as well in the training ground, it’s not like signings wouldn’t help our cause. An elite player in midfield or defence could make the difference at times.

The 2-0 deficit is a hard pill to swallow as cup competitions were our best bet to get silverware in this campaign. We have to use it to motivate ourselves and take the game to Thomas Tuchel’s side when we face them in the reverse fixture. Let’s hope that we improve on our problems by then to give us a chance of making a comeback.