How has Conte transformed Tottenham so quickly?
Cameron Smith
- 27 Dec 2021 13:38 CST
- 4 min read
Tottenham Hotspur's hopes of a Champions League place for next season looked dead and buried by the time Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked at the start of November, but less than two months later, and they appear the team to beat.
Antonio Conte's arrival was greeted was praise from the footballing world, and for good reason. The fact Tottenham had managed to attract one of the best managers around was impressive, but what's followed has been even more so.
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The Italian's footballing blueprint is simply superb, and allows him to get the very best out of the players he works with.
He's able to use his resources extremely well, and that's perhaps best shown by how much better the same set of players look with him in charge in comparison to Nuno Espirito Santo.
Spurs now look like a formidable side, and that's before Conte has been able to add to the squad, or have a pre-season to work with his players. So, next season they'll be a force to be reckoned with. Even without many personnel changes, Conte has changed the fortunes of this Tottenham side, but how has he done it?
Change of shape
The first clear and obvious change has been the formation. Despite using a three at the back system at Wolves, Nuno reverted away from this at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; Conte has simply utilised a 3-4-3 formation like he tends to do.
The Italian either uses a 3-4-3 as mentioned, or a 3-5-2 in order to play a strike partnership. Either way, the style stays the same.
With wing-backs, it alleviates the defensive pressure put on full-backs, and allows them to have a greater impact in the final third. The system helps solidify the backline with an added central defender, while improving the attack with full-backs playing far higher up. Conte has mastered the art of the system, and it's already evident at Tottenham.
The Lilywhites have gone from conceding 1.6 goals per game, to just 0.5 per game during his time in charge, for example.
Structured patterns
The biggest reason that 'The Godfather' is able to extract the most out of lesser players is his patterns of play.
Playing in a Conte side isn't easy, but his incredible coaching ensures success if you stick to his patterns. The need for individual talent is far less in a Conte system, because he creates so many chances through playing a certain way.
Of course, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, as examples, have massively helped Conte at Chelsea and Inter respectively, but he's exceptional at extracting more from mediocre players than most other elite coaches.
It's why Spurs have gone from scoring 0.9 goals per game under Nuno, to scoring 2.0 under the Italian. The players haven't changed, but their ability to create chances has through the structured patterns put into play by Conte.
Running
Conte has taken fitness at Spurs back to the Mauricio Pochettino days, and they are now covering the most distance in the league.
He prioritises hard-work over talent, and that's seen Tottenham go from covering 100km per game, to 114km per game. The players have no doubt become fitter since his arrival, but their mindset has also changed.
Still yet to lose in the league at Spurs, Conte's already worked miracles at the club, and they're only going to get better.
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