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Tottenham head coach, Antonio Conte has knocked those who claimed his side could challenge for the premier league title, saying Tottenham need substantial signings every season to get to that level.
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Spurs suffered their fourth loss in seven Premier League games on New Year’s day, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, conceding more than one goal in a seventh consecutive game for the first time since 1988.
The result leaves Tottenham fifth in the table, 13 points behind leaders and local rivals Arsenal, who have a game in hand.
Conte hit out at the “crazy” expectations around his Tottenham side after their 2-0 loss to Aston Villa on Sunday, January 1 and said the club need to be signing two players worth £50-70m every season if they are to become serious title contenders.
Conte defended Spurs’ performance, despite the fact they only had six shots across the 90 minutes, hinting that he needs more backing in the transfer market if they are to challenge for major honours.
“I continue to repeat that last season we made a miracle,” he said of their fourth-placed finish last term in his press conference
“It happened, why? Because we played only one competition and we played with 12 or 13 players that didn’t have injuries in the last 15 games.
“We played with the best players every game, because we played only the league. Don’t forget that with three games to go, Arsenal was four points up from us – and that we finished 20 points behind Manchester City.
“We did a miracle, but I knew what the situation was and then I was very clear with the club [about what was needed]to become title contenders.”
“I remember very well in the summer people talked about Tottenham as title contenders, but in my experience, it was a bit crazy to see this.
“To become title contenders, to become a team ready to fight to win something, you need to have a solid foundation, which means to have 14 or 15 strong players, with quality, and the other young players to develop.
“Every season, you can add two players, but two players priced £50m, £60m, £70m. In this way, it means you are signing important players who can improve the quality and the level of your team.
“But this is a process, guys. This is a process.”
Despite Spurs signing Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Cristian Romero, Ivan Perisic, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence and Fraser Forster in the summer at a combined cost of £172m, Conte insisted he is also trying to create a winning culture at the club.
“People who think that you arrive and you win,” he said. “This can happen for a team that are used in the past to winning. But if you are not used to it, it means you have to create the situation.
“For this reason, you need time, patience. I understand that the fans are disappointed because they can say they have had patience for a long time. I understand. But the situation is this: if you want the truth, I will tell you the truth.”
Asked whether he feels Spurs fans have unrealistic expectations of their team, Conte added:
“I don’t have to think about what are the expectations. I know what is the reality.
“I am the coach, I live the club every day, I know the situation, I know the vision of the club. The club knows very well my thoughts about the situation.
“The situation was very clear. I continue to work to improve the club, to create a solid foundation and then to develop.
“At the start of the season, I was very, very clear with the club. I said: ‘Okay, we can be competitive to win, but try to continue to improve in a way we can do it.’
“Because, also, you have to know there are clubs who can invest £200m, £300m and then other clubs who have different [policies]. You have to respect other [policies].
“But that has to be very clear to the people, because otherwise we create an expectation and it’s not positive for the environment to create expectations that, in this moment, are not realistic.”
Conte added that Spurs must now return to the transfer market and “buy strong” in order for him to continue the development of the team and avoid their slump continuing.
“I’m repeating this from the start of the season, but I was expecting this moment,” he added. “Now, we have to buy strong, strong. Because the situation is that we are there, but in this league, you can slip quickly.
“I spoke also to my players and I said, the expectation is to grow, to fight, because from the first until the end, the road is not so long, you can slip quickly if you are not prepared and humble.
“If you ask me if I am scared, I’m not scared. I believe in my work, I believe in my players.
“But don’t ask me about things I can’t promise to you because this is only to create illusions and to give dreams. But at the moment you have to be realistic.
“Because if you are realistic, and you know the situation, you face the moment in the right way.”
Defending his side’s display against Villa, despite the result, Conte said:
“About the performance, I’m not disappointed, because the performance was a good performance.
“From the start until the end, I have seen the right commitment, intensity and desire to win the three points and win duels and run.
“If you ask me, football is strange. In the first half, we dominated the game, although we didn’t create chances to score, because we found a team that defended really, really deep, with 11 players.
“Then in the second half, we started in the same way and then it happened that we conceded another goal. We are not so lucky with the goals we are conceding in this period.
“This goal changed the situation, the feeling and the confidence of the players. They didn’t feel they deserved to be 1-0 down after a big effort in the first half.”
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