Manager Antonio Conte pleased with Tottenham Hotspur stars for giving him what he asked for
Speaking after his side’s 4-0 win against Leeds United (h/t football.london), Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte said he got exactly what he asked from his players at Elland Road, saying he saw improvements within the team after midweek’s loss.
Spurs went into the Leeds clash after losing 1-0 at Turf Moor to relegation-threatened Burnley, as Conte’s men fell flat in their performance on the pitch. What was surprising about the defeat was that they had just beaten defending champions Manchester City in their previous game.
Conte said he asked his players to press and win duels across the pitch in order to prove that they could turn the tide in their favour in the Premier League, and was happy that his stars responded to his demands.
“They go and press a lot, they have duels in every area, every zone of the pitch. Today I asked this of my players. I wanted to see answers not only about football aspects. I wanted to see improvements in this aspect, which in my opinion are very important.”
The Spurs players were able to deliver exactly what Conte demanded of them, putting in a show against a poor Leeds side. The 4-0 result had much more complications for the Peacocks, as it saw them sack long-time manager Marcelo Bielsa after yet another loss in the league.
“Starting point for us”
The win at Elland Road saw Tottenham arrest a recent losing slump in the PL. Prior to their visit to Yorkshire, the club had lost four out of their previous five league games and was in danger of missing out on a top-four finish by the end of the season.
Conte urged his players to take the win against Leeds as a starting point to put together a winning run towards the end of the season, showing ‘desire, compactness and will’ to climb up the league table.
“Today I have seen great desire, great compactness, great will to fight together in every zone of the pitch. This has to be a starting point for us and not only an episodic game.”
Conte is absolutely right in asking his players to use the recent win as a starting point for more victories in the future, as Spurs have quite a journey up ahead if they are to sneak their way into a UCL qualification spot by the summer.
Currently sitting in seventh place, the Lilywhites are five points behind fourth-placed Manchester United. Luckily for the north London club, they have a couple of games in hand to make up the deficit.
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As a result, it becomes absolutely crucial that Tottenham ensure that they win all their games from here on to make sure they secure Champions League football next season. Their games in hand will not matter if they are not able to take advantage of the situation they are in.
Conte will hope that his players respond to this demand of his just as they did against Leeds, as they looked a different team to the one that lost at Turf Moor in midweek. Only time will tell if they are able to kick on from here and start a winning streak in the PL.
