The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare has claimed that Antonio Conte could well prove the difference in Tottenham Hotspur’s chase for a place in the top four.
The race for the top four is an incredibly close one right now, with the teams between fourth and sixth place separated by just four points as we head into the business end of the season.
Tottenham, having struggled to get going this season and having conceded more goals than they had scored at the time that Antonio Conte was appointed, have done remarkably well to get themselves into this position.
They have turned themselves around to get to within touching distance, even if the road hasn’t totally been smooth with a few shock results and issues behind the scenes.
But speaking on The View From The Lane podcast, Eccleshare claimed that the Italian could well prove to be the difference-maker when it came to the battle for a spot in the Champions League race, purely because of the experience that he has managed to gather during his managerial career compared to the likes of Mikel Arteta and Ralf Rangnick.
He said: “They have a huge advantage with the manager they have in relation to their rivals for that position. Obviously, Arteta’s doing a really good job at the moment, but doesn’t have the same experiences as Conte. Rangnick, I mean, we don’t really know yet what to make of him.”
TIF Thoughts on Charlie Eccleshare’s comments about Antonio Conte and Tottenham Hotspur…
Will Conte get Spurs over the line?
Yes
No
When it comes to experience between the competitors, Eccleshare makes an excellent point when you break it down.
Whilst he has a lot of experience from his earlier days in the game Rangnick is still relatively new to Manchester United and hasn’t really had much of a chance to implant his own style on the team and wasn’t even given the chance to sign anyone in January. Compare that to Conte, who could make some moves, with Dejan Kulusevski making a decent impact straight off the bat.
Meanwhile, Arteta is still in only his third season as a manager, and whilst he has won some silverware, has shown a tendency to struggle in big moments early in his career, most notably in Europe – not once, but twice. Whereas, with Conte, you have a serial winner who is used to getting over the line when it matters.
So even though it is out of their hands, with Arsenal three points above them and with a game in hand, it isn’t totally over for Spurs just yet.
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