The announcement of Antonio Conte as the new Tottenham Hotspur manager was met with acclaim by Spurs fans, as they believe that they have found a manager perfectly suited to taking the club forward. Many fans were already against the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo at the beginning of the campaign before a ball was kicked.
But Conte will already get extra time to settle in than his Portuguese predecessor due to his winning mentality and long record of success at every club that he has been at. However, what are the biggest challenges that Conte must address at Spurs following Sunday’s 0-0 draw in his Premier League bow against Everton.
Address Defensive Issues
Conte is known to be one of the best defensive coaches in world football, and all his skills will be put to the test with a leaky Spurs backline. Club captain Huge Lloris has already signalled the importance in the coaching under the Italian, as they look to improve at both ends of the pitch. The Italian used excellent defensive records as a springboard for success at both Chelsea and Inter Milan, and he will be looking to do the same again with this Tottenham side.
There was an immediate change in system for Conte’s first Premier League game in charge, as he reverted to his tried and tested 3-4-1-2. A back three of Ben Davies, Cristian Romero, and Eric Dier were used on Sunday, with a positive result. A first clean sheet in the league for Spurs since before the first international break was achieved, which was a strong enough start.
Getting The Best Out Of Kane
A factor that went against Santo during his short reign as Spurs boss was his inability to get the best out of Harry Kane. The England captain is struggling for form this season, and has scored just one Premier League goal. Kane was booed off in Nuno’s last game against Manchester United, and looked a frustrated figure once again in the 0-0 draw against Everton. Once again, Kane failed to land a single shot on target, as he found chances in the game hard to come by. Conte will look to get the best out of Kane, as this will likely be his best chance of success at the club.
However, how he manages to do that looks to be a challenging conundrum. The Englishman’s form has been poor at the start of the season, with the long-running transfer saga involving Kane and a potential move to Manchester City still playing over in the striker’s head.
Must Win A Trophy
Conte will have the same challenge as Jose Mourinho when he arrived with a huge reputation as a ‘winner’, and that will be to deliver a first piece of silverware to the club since 2008. Of course, Spurs came close to the promised land under the tenure of Mauricio Pochettino, before coming up short in the Champions League final. Conte will have a number of chances to win a trophy this season, but they are unlikely to be in the main competitions that Spurs fans would like to win.
Tottenham have a very live chance in the Europa Conference League, as they are listed among the favourites. Meanwhile, the EFL Cup could also be a trophy that the Spurs boss will be looking to get his hands on, but they face a challenge in the quarterfinals against a West Ham United side that have already knocked out both Manchester clubs.
The club are among the favourites to win both trophies this season, and bets can be made at Overlyzer. Meanwhile, wagers can also be placed on whether it’s an ‘over’ or an ‘under’ game in all fixtures in the Premier League, while correct score and first player to score markets are also available for all Spurs fixtures throughout the season.