TalkSPORT’s Darren Lewis believes that Tottenham Hotspur’s owners won’t be bothered about their style of play as long as they’re winning.
A lot has been made within the media about Tottenham’s style of play and how they can sometimes be boring on the eye, but as Lewis highlighted on the TalkSPORT Gameday podcast, this is their best-ever start to a season in the Premier League.
Despite two defeats in their last three league games, Conte has Spurs sitting very comfortably in third, just five points off top spot and their north London rivals, which will likely have Spurs’ owners gleaming.
Lewis admits that Spurs’ owners would rather see their team play boring yet successful football instead of simply being ‘sexy’ on the eye and with have no qualms with Antonio Conte over their style.
Speaking following their dramatic win over Bournemouth last weekend, he said: “It was awful to watch, but points-wise, they’ve had their best start ever to a Premier League season, and they’ve had actually their best start to a top-flight season for 60 years.
“I think the people in charge of Spurs would rather that than them play particularly well at a point of the season that nobody will remember come next May, and I think that’s quite key.
Is Conte the right manager for Spurs?
Yes!
No!
“Spurs have played good football over the years and won nothing, and you have got to go back to the 2008 League Cup for the last time they did win something. They’ve been through a lot of managers since then who have played some sexy stuff, and ultimately been fruitless. I don’t see that anybody can question a guy who knows how to win, and has done with his last three clubs.”
TIF Thoughts on Spurs’ style of play under Conte…
It’s no surprise that some are starting to question the sort of football that is being served up by Conte’s side, as they currently rank ninth when it comes to touches in the attacking third – fewer than the likes of Wolves, Brighton and Newcastle United (FBref).
Also, they are facing a high volume of shots, with Spurs seeing 55 efforts test Hugo Lloris in the Premier League this term so far, which is more than teams near the bottom of the league such as Southampton and Crystal Palace.
However, as Lewis highlighted, the last time Spurs won a piece of silverware was indeed nearly 15 years ago, so if Conte can bring a trophy to Tottenham playing a certain way, fans and the likes of Daniel Levy will surely not be complaining come the end of the season.