A livid Conte was satisfied that the VAR wouldn’t have been courageous sufficient to disallow Harry Kane’s stoppage-time purpose in opposition to Sporting Lisbon final week if Spurs have been a “high staff” — by which he meant a aspect similar to Actual Madrid or Liverpool, who know the way to win this competitors.If the choice had gone Spurs’ manner, they might already be by way of to the last-16 as group winners, and tonight’s match right here in Marseille could be a welcome dead-rubber.As an alternative, the event will go an extended strategy to figuring out if their first half of the season has been successful or failure, and even color perceptions of Conte’s work in his first 12 months on the membership.Amid all of the concentrate on his techniques, rotation and game-management, as Conte celebrates the anniversary of his appointment he’s nonetheless working to vary the larger fundamentals regarding his gamers’ mentality, in addition to the way in which the membership behaves.Harry Kane surveys the scene on the Stade Velodrome forward of Spurs’ enormous conflict tonight / Tottenham Hotspur FC by way of Getty ImagesThe Italian was used to massive choices going his manner with Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan, and he needs his gamers and superiors to be extra bullish.“I hope the membership understands [the damage caused by VAR] after which in the precise state of affairs additionally they communicate with the folks they’ve to talk as a result of in any other case it is just the supervisor talking,” he mentioned after the Sporting recreation. “I believe the membership must be sturdy as a result of this case creates massive, massive injury.”Saturday’s comeback win over Bournemouth was additional proof that Conte is constructing a aspect with guts however after the sport he admitted he was nonetheless puzzled by how simply his gamers lose confidence, and known as for them to be extra “nasty”.Conte just isn’t the primary Spurs supervisor to understand an undercurrent of fragility inside his squad. When Mauricio Pochettino arrived on the membership in the summertime of 2014, he was stunned to discover a group who have been already fretting a few go to to rivals West Ham on the opening day of the season.The Argentine made nice strides in the direction of altering the mentality all through the membership however his successor Jose Mourinho nonetheless felt his gamers have been too “good” — one other phrase Conte used at Bournemouth.Conte has a distinct squad to each Pochettino and Mourinho, however there may be nonetheless a way that the final hurdles for Spurs to beat are within the gamers’ heads.There’s nonetheless a way that the final hurdles for Spurs to beat are within the gamers’ headsKane, whose personal single-minded need to enhance is past query, additionally hinted at a psychological block when requested to clarify one other sluggish begin on the Vitality Stadium on Saturday. For the England captain, there is a component of concern which is stopping the staff from enjoying freely from the off.“Health-wise we’re very sturdy, which might clarify why we regularly end video games strongly,” Kane mentioned. “And mentally, I believe when the gamers are free and now we have nothing to lose, we play higher — we get extra folks ahead and hold the strain on within the opposition half.“That’s the way it performed out in opposition to Sporting in midweek and at Bournemouth it labored out ultimately. We stored knocking on the door and, fortunately, we undergo it, however it’s one thing we’re going to have to enhance if we wish to keep up in the direction of the highest of the desk for the remainder of the season.”Beginning tonight’s recreation with warning can be significantly tempting as a result of a draw will assure Spurs’ progress, presumably as group winners, however they’ve struggled to be efficient with the handbrake on. A defeat would imply they drop into the Europa League.The sense that this recreation can be firstly a check of character for Spurs is heightened as a result of Conte will be unable to rally his gamers from the touchline or dressing room after being despatched off for getting into the sector of play after Kane’s purpose was disallowed on Wednesday.READ MOREBack in January, the top coach revealed he was attempting to often be calmer on the sidelines as a part of a course of to show his gamers to take accountability on the pitch.“Generally I’ve to remain seated and depart my gamers to make the perfect determination and face the sport through the difficulties,” he mentioned. “It’s a part of the method to enhance their accountability through the recreation.”With Conte watching from the stands and his assistant Cristian Stellini within the dugout, the gamers’ progress on this space can be examined within the south of France, whereas his absence from dressing room at half-time could possibly be significantly important if Spurs go in trailing on the interval, as they’ve prior to now three matches.Nonetheless, there are few higher locations for Spurs’ to show their psychological fortitude than below strain in Marseille’s Stade Velodrome, which can be a cauldron of hostility tonight, even with one stand closed by UEFA following crowd bother of their first recreation right here in opposition to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Spurs should show metal with out Conte in hostile Marseille conflict
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