Furious Tottenham manager Antonio Conte slammed his “selfish players” for not wanting to play “under pressure” in an extraordinary post-match tirade after they squandered a two-goal lead on bottom club Southampton.
Spurs led 3-1 at Saints with 16 minutes remaining and looked set to move third, but conceded two late goals as James Ward-Prowse’s stoppage-time penalty salvaged a 3-3 draw for the home side. .
Conte said sky sports After the 3-3: “I’m not used to seeing this type of situation. I see a lot of selfish players and I don’t see a team.”
He added in his post-game press conference, which lasted 10 minutes: “We are 11 players who went out onto the field. I see selfish players, I see players who don’t want to help each other and don’t put their hearts in.” [in].”
Tottenham’s collapse at St Mary’s caps a miserable march for the club that was knocked out of both the FA Cup and Champions League earlier this month to leave them trophyless since 2008.
Asked why it’s happening in his post-match press conference, the Italian replied: “Because they’re used to it here, they’re used to it. They don’t play for anything important, yes.”
“They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress. It’s easy this way. Tottenham’s story is this.
“The owner has been here for twenty years and he never earned anything, but why? It’s only the club’s fault, or each coach who stays here.
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Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte is criticizing his team after their late collapse at Southampton, claiming his players lack responsibility and believes they don’t see themselves as a team.
“You risk disrupting the figure of the coach and protecting the other situation at all times.
“Until now I try to hide the situation, but not now, because I repeat, I do not want to see what I have seen today because this is unacceptable and also unacceptable for the fans.
“They follow us, they pay their ticket and see the team at another time, having this type of performance is unacceptable. We have to think a lot about this.”
Conte: They can change their coach but the situation will not change
Conte’s contract with Spurs expires this summer and there is a growing belief that he will leave before the end of the season.
sky sports Expert Jamie Carragher believes the 53-year-old’s outburst is a sign he wants to be fired.
Carragher tweeted: “Conte wants to be sacked in this international break. Spurs should just put him out of his misery and do it tonight.”
Buddy sky sports Pundit and former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp added: “It looks like their position is becoming untenable.”
Asked if the lack of clarity about his future had affected the team, Conte rejected another “alibi” for his underperforming players during an impassioned monologue.
“You’re finding an alibi, another alibi,” he said. “You try to find an excuse for the players.”
And he added: “The club has the responsibility of the transfer market. Each coach who stayed here has the responsibility and the players? The players? Where are the players?
“In my experience, I can tell you that if you want to be competitive, if you want to fight, you have to improve this aspect and this aspect, I can tell you that right now it is very, very low.
“And I only see 11 players playing for themselves.
“There are 10 games left and some people think we can fight. Fight for what with this spirit, this attitude, this commitment? What? For seventh, eighth, 10th place? I’m not used to this position.
“I am really upset and everyone must take responsibility. Not only the club, the manager and the staff, the players must be involved in this situation because it is time to change this situation if Tottenham wants to change.”
“If they want to continue like this, they can change coaches, many coaches, but the situation cannot change. Trust me.”
Conte: We are going backwards
Conte looks dejected at the end of a 3-3 draw at Southampton
The draw at Southampton put a dent in Tottenham’s top-four hopes, with Conte’s side now just two points clear of fifth-placed Newcastle, who have two games to go.
Conte said sky sports: “If I have to compare this season and the improvement we are making this season compared to last season, I think that instead of improving the situation we are losing the work we did last season.
“I’m not talking about the tactical aspect, I’m talking about the spirit, the sense of responsibility over the heart that we have to put on the field.
“Today against Southampton you are winning 3-1 and you feel the perception; my perception is that anything can happen at any moment. And to be afraid, afraid of what [might] happen.
“The players, the players have to take responsibility because what we’re seeing in the last month I don’t like. I don’t like it.”