It was a coup for Tottenham when they landed Antonio Conte, he is a proper elite manager and provided he is given the right backing could be a game-changer.
Conte is, however, a realist and he insists that when he took on the role it was based on common sense and not “stupid promises”
The Italian made it absolutely clear to Daniel Levy what he intended to do and according to the former Inter Milan manager, he would not have taken the job if any demands were made of him.
Speaking yesterday to the press Conte said, as quoted by the Standard,
“When I arrived and spoke with the club, they didn’t ask me for anything,” Conte said.
“Daniel Levy wanted me strongly, not because I will bring with me stupid promises.
“Daniel Levy wanted me here for my reputation, for my work, my ideas, my method, my capacity to build something important, especially because in the start they didn’t have a solid foundation. I think he wanted me for this reason and I accepted for this reason. Honestly, if he asked me something different I would probably have said, ‘thanks very much but it’s not the right moment’.”
That is fairly clear then, Conte is not promising top four this season or any silverware, instead, he is offering to rebuild the team into one that is competitive.
However, we all know Levy and his lack of patience, it is ok him not asking anything of Conte and hiring the 52-year-old based on his reputation but that will all go out the window in a heartbeat if Levy does not think Conte is either progressing the squad fast enough or if results are not what was expected, patience is not a virtue that Levy possesses.
It is going to be interesting to see how this relationship develops.