Antonio Conte: Tottenham boss hits out at ‘selfish’ players following throwing away two-objective lead at Southampton | Football News

Tottenham throw away two-objective lead at bottom side Southampton Spurs had been three-1 up with 16 minutes left but James Ward-Prowse’s stoppage-time penalty rescued three-three draw for Saints Spurs head coach Antonio Conte: “I see a lot of selfish players and I do not see a group”

20:22, UK, Saturday 18 March 2023

Furious Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has hit out at his “selfish players” for not wanting to play “below stress” in an extraordinary post-match rant following they threw away a two-objective lead at bottom side Southampton.

Spurs led three-1 at Saints with 16 minutes to go and looked on course to move third, but they conceded twice late on as James Ward-Prowse’s stoppage-time penalty rescued a three-three draw for the residence side.

Conte told Sky Sports following the three-three draw: “I am not made use of to seeing this sort of scenario. I see a lot of selfish players and I do not see a group.”

He added in his post-match press conference, which lasted ten minutes: “We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that do not want to enable each and every other and do not place their heart [in].”

Tottenham’s collapse at St Mary’s caps off a miserable March for the club who had been dumped out of each the FA Cup and the Champions League earlier this month to leave them trophyless given that 2008.

Asked why it is taking place in his post-match press conference, the Italian responded: “For the reason that they are made use of to it right here, they are made use of to it. They do not play for anything vital, yeah.

“They do not want to play below stress, they do not want to play below tension. It is straightforward in this way. Tottenham’s story is this.

“Twenty years there is the owner and they under no circumstances won anything but why? The fault is only for the club, or for each and every manager that remain right here.

Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte criticises his side following their late collapse at Southampton, claiming his players lack duty and believes they do not appear like a group

“You danger to disrupt the figure of the manager and to shield the other scenario in each and every moment.

“Till now I attempt to hide the scenario but now, no, for the reason that I repeat, I do not want to see what I have observed nowadays for the reason that this is unacceptable and also unacceptable for the fans.

“They stick to us, spend for their ticket and to see the group a further time, to have this sort of functionality is unacceptable. We have to consider a lot about this.”

Conte: They can transform manager but the scenario will not transform

Conte’s Spurs contract expires this summer season and there is a developing belief he will depart prior to the finish of the season.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher believes the 53-year-old’s outburst is a sign he desires to be sacked.

Carragher tweeted: “Conte desires to be sacked in this international break. Spurs need to just place him out of his misery and do it tonight.”

Fellow Sky Sports pundit and former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp added: “It feels as if his position is becoming untenable.”

Quizzed on if the lack of clarity more than his future had impacted the squad, Conte pushed back at a further “alibi” for his below-performing players for the duration of a passionate monologue.

“You are obtaining an alibi, a further alibi,” he mentioned. “You attempt to come across an excuse for the players.”

He added: “The club has the duty for the transfer marketplace. Every single coach that stayed right here has the duty and the players? The players? Exactly where are the players?

“In my practical experience, I can inform you that if you want to be competitive, if you want to fight, you have to strengthen this aspect and this aspect, I can inform you, in this moment is seriously, seriously low.

“And I see only 11 players that play for themselves.

“There are ten games to go and some people today consider we can fight. Fight for what with this spirit, this attitude, this commitment? What? For seventh, eighth, 10th location? I am not made use of to this position.

“I am seriously upset and everybody has to take their duty. Not only the club, the manager and the employees, the players have to be involved in this scenario for the reason that it is time to transform this scenario if Tottenham want to transform.

“If they want to continue in this way, they can transform the manager, a lot of managers, but the scenario can’t transform. Think me.”

Conte: We are going backwards

Image:
Conte appears dejected at the finish of the three-three draw at Southampton

The draw at Southampton dented Tottenham’s top rated-4 hopes with Conte’s side now just two points above fifth-placed Newcastle, who have two games in hand on them.

Conte told Sky Sports: “If I have to examine this season and the improvement we are performing this season compared to final season, I consider alternatively of enhancing the scenario we are losing the perform that we did final season.

“I do not speak about the tactical aspect, I am speaking about the spirit, the sense of duty about the heart that we have to place onto the pitch.

“These days against Southampton you are winning three-1 and you really feel the perception my perception is that something can come about in each and every moment. And to be scared, scared of what [might] come about.

“The players, the players have to take the duty for the reason that what we are seeing in the final month I do not like. I do not like.”