Tottenham boss Antonio Conte tore into his have players right after they squandered a two-target guide late on to draw at Southampton in however another setback for the club. The Italian branded his Spurs gamers “selfish” just after they conceded a 93rd-moment equaliser against the Premier League’s bottom-positioned crew.
Spurs had led 3-1 with just 16 minutes of ordinary time remaining at St Mary’s following Ivan Perisic’s goal, which followed efforts from Pedro Porro and Harry Kane. But Theo Walcott incredibly rapidly lowered the deficit to pile on the strain in the closing phases.
And James Ward-Prowse then scored a controversial penalty deep into stoppage time to go away Conte seething at his individual players. The Tottenham manager, who is anticipated to depart at the finish of the year, did not maintain back again in his assessment of their draw in opposition to the Saints which delivers main encouragement to their prime-4 rivals Newcastle, Liverpool and Brighton.
Right after admitting he was “upset” in a person interview, Conte fumed when speaking to the push: “I feel that it truly is the appropriate second to talk due to the fact I think that following this performance, for me this is unacceptable. We are successful 3-1, we’re in regulate and we concede two goals and Fraser [Forster] had to make will save.
“I think it can be improved to go into the dilemma – we are not a workforce, we are 11 players that go on to the pitch. I see selfish players, gamers that really don’t want to support every other and never set their coronary heart into it. In advance of today I try to conceal the situation and strengthen the problem with phrases.
“One detail is the desire, the fire that you need to have in your eyes, your heart. You will need to have this in each instant. This period as opposed to very last, now we are even worse in this facet. When you are not a group you can’t strengthen.”
Referencing their latest FA Cup exit, Conte included: “You should not ignore we played versus a Sheffield United workforce with young players and we dropped out [of the competition]. We want to comprehend we enjoy for the badge. We play to make our admirers proud of us. You have to have need. The hearth in your eyes. If you have this you do not have this you don’t go out in the FA Cup.
“Right here we are used to it for a very long time. The club has the duty for the transfer market, the mentor has the accountability. But the players, where by are the players? I see only 11 gamers that play for themselves.
“Now there are 10 video games to go and somebody thinks we can battle with this mindset, with this spirit, for what the seventh, eighth spot? What? I am not made use of to fighting for this. It truly is each and every one’s duty [to sort this out]. They are used to it in this article. They really don’t engage in for one thing critical.
“They you should not want to perform below pressure, they never want to engage in under stress. It is uncomplicated in this way. The Tottenham tale is this for 20 many years. There is the owner but they hardly ever received a thing. Why? The fault is only for the club, or for each individual supervisor that stays below. I have witnessed the managers that Tottenham had on the bench.
“It is time to transform this situation if Tottenham want to transform. If they want to carry on in this way, they can improve the supervisor, a ton of supervisors, but the situation are not able to adjust. Consider me.”
Spurs have only received 8 of 17 matches in 2023 and have crashed out of the FA Cup and the Champions League, meaning a leading-four complete is all Conte and co. have to perform for from now until May well 28.
The north London club now have a two-7 days crack although a lot of players will still be action for their intercontinental groups. Spurs return from Everton on April 3 at Goodison Park.