Tottenham attitude in question again on anniversary of Antonio Conte outburst

Despite clear improvement under Ange Postecoglou, Fulham loss raises fresh mentality concerns at Spurs
Dom Smith18 March 2024

Monday marks one year since Antonio Conte launched into Tottenham players in his astonishing rant at Southampton.

Conte questioned the attitude of his squad and, in what proved to be his exit speech, said his players did not “want to play under pressure”.

There has been a marked improvement at Spurs under Ange Postecoglou this season, but Saturday’s 3-0 thumping at Fulham raised fresh questions about their mentality.

After winning 4-0 at rivals Aston Villa last weekend, Saturday’s game was a chance for Spurs to move into the top four and make a statement about their Champions League ambitions.

But they were outfought and outthought by Fulham in what was their worst performance of the season, given they had pretty much their best team available.

Postecoglou’s entire midfield of Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma and James Maddison was replaced after 66 minutes, run ragged by Joao Palhinha and Sasa Lukic.

Radu Dragusin was composed on the ball on his first start but he lost concentration and allowed Rodrigo Muniz to open the scoring before the break.

Dejected: Feeble Tottenham were blown away by London rivals Fulham
Action Images via Reuters

Spurs never recovered, with Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson shielded out wide and Heung-min Son ineffectual.

Villa’s 1-1 draw at West Ham on Sunday was good news for Spurs, but a resurgent Manchester United are likely to be buoyed by their epic win over Liverpool in the race for the top four.

It will be crunch time for Spurs when they return to action at home against Luton on March 30, and the spotlight will be on how they handle the pressure of the run-in. Can they deliver when it matters most?

Fifth place may also secure a Champions League spot, but Spurs cannot afford to leave anything to chance. Postecoglou questioned his side’s “competitiveness” and Son went further, saying Spurs “didn’t put in the effort” and that the defeat was a “big wake-up call”.

Son said: “It is unacceptable, including me, it was unacceptable. We didn’t put in the effort we have put in this season. The performance, the attitude was not good enough.”

With a game in hand on Villa, Spurs are still in a good position.

But the next few months will be a test of their mettle, with big games against West Ham, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool still to come in their final 10 matches.

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