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Under fire Antonio Conte says it’s “difficult to understand” the criticism leveled at his struggling side Tottenham… and insists they are doing “everything possible” to improve their poor form
Antonio Conte is confused by the criticism he is receiving from Tottenham fans after his recent troubles.
Following Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat at bitter rivals Arsenal, Conte’s position at the club becomes increasingly uncertain as the club have won just three of their previous nine Premier League games.
Ahead of his trip to the Etihad to play Premier League champions Manchester City on Thursday, Conte has defended himself and the team by saying they are doing everything they can in a difficult situation.
Tottenham fans are starting to lose patience with Antonio Conte after his recent run
When asked about the criticism of him from fans, he replied: ‘What I can say is only one thing.
We are working very hard every day for this club. If there is criticism, then we have to accept.
“It’s hard to understand the criticism because we are doing everything we can in this situation.”
Conte finds it ‘difficult to understand’ the criticism being thrown his way
Tottenham have collected just three wins in their last nine Premier League games
The position of the former Chelsea and Inter Milan manager is unclear following another defeat, as Spurs enter the second half of the season.
Conte’s existing contract expires in the summer, although the club has the option to extend it by 12 months.
However, all parties understand that it would be counterproductive to activate the extension if their visions for the club are not aligned.
Conte has made it clear that he wants to be convinced of Spurs’ ambition if he is to compromise his future given his reputation as a trophy-winning manager.
While Tottenham acknowledge that Conte, widely recognized as an elite manager, has achieved a lot since he arrived in November 2021, his recent form has raised concerns.
Spurs were desperate for Conte to sign a new contract at the end of last season after he led them to a top four finish.
Conte also touched on Son Heung-min’s recent struggles to find the back of the net for Spurs.
During his press conference, Son also addressed the issues facing last year’s joint Premier League Golden Boot winner Son Heung-min.
After scoring 24 goals in all competitions last season, he has netted just six times this campaign.
Conte said: ‘Sure if we talk about Sonny, last season he scored 25 goals. This season he is not scoring as much. For us it is not good news because we have his goals.
‘So we are not talking about robots, about a person, a human being. I’m the first to expect Sonny to start scoring pressure or no pressure. This is football. We have to try to deal with the situation with the players.
“The most important thing that I see during the training session and the games is that Sonny does everything he can.”