Opinion
Changes made at Hotspur Way over the international break
Manager Antonio Conte. - Credit: PA
The Antonio Conte era is well under way at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, as the Italian manager adjusts to life in north London.
Having been appointed to replace Nuno Espírito Santo almost immediately, he has not had much of a chance to really make an impact.
His first two games saw him operate with a back three – his preferred system – and this led to victory in the Europa Conference League and a draw away to Everton at Goodison Park.
Two weeks of international break will have given Conte an opportunity to get his feet firmly under the table and begin to tackle the issues present at Spurs.
Reports emerging from Hotspur Way over this international period has seen the nutrition at the club changed, with fizzy drinks, ketchup, and mayonnaise allegedly banned.
While this isn’t new for Conte, as it was implemented when he arrived at Chelsea, it shows how he feels about the fitness and health of his players.
This coupled with the increased intensity of the training sessions is designed to help strengthen the endurance of players and raise fitness levels at the club, a problem that has been apparent over both Jose Mourinho and Nuno’s tenures.
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Apparently, the players have so far taken the changes positively, hopefully a signal of their desire to impress and improve on recent performances.
Conte has also added to his backroom staff, with goalkeeping coach Marco Savorani joining the Italian and his team.
As Spurs return to Premier League action this weekend – hosting a struggling Leeds United – they will have to do without Cristian Romero who suffered an injury against Brazil while on international duty with Argentina.
It will be interesting to see how the three at the back functions against Marcelo Bielsa’s side, as they have struggled to cope defensively.
Harry Kane hasn’t enjoyed his domestic campaign so far with Tottenham and is performing well below the standards he has set for himself.
The Englishman will be hoping he takes his England form into the league fixtures, having scored seven goals in just two games for his country.
