Tottenham Hotspur are flying and have been scoring for fun of late, with Antonio Conte ’s side winning six of their last eight Premier League games to revive their season and launch themselves back into the top four for the first time since September.
The Italian coach is finally starting to see his tactics and style of play produce results, with Spurs showing greater cohesion and understanding ahead of a crucial end of season run-in.
And there are a number of things that Conte has succeeded with of late, including transforming a number of players, pulling off some smart transfer business, and getting Harry Kane firing again.
Here Mirror Football has taken a look at some of the work Conte has done to get Spurs back in the top four mix.
Resurrecting individuals
Following a poor run of form at the start of the year, Conte shipped out four of his underperforming stars in the January transfer window, but the ones who didn’t leave have produced big turnarounds under the Italian.
Cristian Romero has become one of the best defenders in the Premier League since his return from injury at the start of the year, and Eric Dier has also impressed in defence, while Matt Doherty has looked a different player since being converted to a left wing-back, and the Ireland international has credited Conte for Spurs’ recent revival.
He told the Evening Standard : “Every wing-back and every player is just playing at the top of their game right now, everyone wants the ball, everyone is making the right angles the manager wants, everyone is making the runs he wants. What he wants us to do, when we do it and it comes off, we create big chances from it. A lot of it is down to the manager.”
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Smart transfer business
It was no secret that Spurs needed reinforcements in January and there was plenty of criticism aimed towards the club after signing just Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski on deadline day, but the duo have shut those critics down after becoming regular starters in the side.
Bentancur took a while to settle in but has now formed part of a solid midfield partnership with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, while Kulusevski, labelled as “a great signing” by Conte, has hit the ground running with two goals and five assists in 10 top flight games, and the Spurs boss feels the pair have made his side “more complete”.
Conte told football.london : “Despite that we lost four players in January, with these two new signings we made this squad more complete, with more balance. I think that it’s very important in football to have a clear idea, and to have a good vision. Because in this way, the situation is more simple.”
Getting Kane firing again
Harry Kane had a tough start to the season and 12 goals in 29 Premier League appearances is way below his usual standards, yet seven goals and four assists in his last nine games has been part of his huge turnaround in form and shows how influential he has been to the side in recent weeks.
Kane’s goals are the focal point of whether or not Spurs are successful and now that he is back to his best, they have every chance of making the top four. But his performances in general have been excellent, and his four assists of late have shown he isn’t just about scoring goals, as he proved in Sunday’s 5-1 win over Newcastle.
Following that game, Conte said : “When the game finished I went into the pitch to thank my players and I said to Harry, 'I am only disappointed for one thing, that you didn't score because you played a massive game'. It is very difficult to describe this player. I am happy for him because we are talking about a world class striker. He deserves the best because he is a great worker, a hard worker, this is not normal.”
Implementing his system
Conte has been set on using a system which involves wing-backs, operating a 3-4-2-1 formation throughout the majority of his tenure at the club, and after struggling to find the perfect duo to play in those roles on either side, it looks as though the Italian has finally found the perfect combination in Emerson Royal and the converted Doherty, with both stepping up to the plate.
Romero, Dier and Ben Davies have formed a settled back three, Bentancur has provided the missing key to Spurs' midfield, while Kulusevski compliments Heung-Min Son in attack behind Kane with his pace, power and creativity, with the pair also chipping in with goals and assists. Spurs look as though they have finally clicked and Conte has his identity.
The Italian said: "But now for sure you can see a team that has specific characteristics and you can recognise your football. For this reason I said that we are in the race to try and take a place in the Champions League. At this moment the team is a team with an idea of football. Every single player knows very well what happens during the game and what they have to do."
