Conte Hails Tottenham players After Everton Draw News

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Conte Hails Tottenham players After Everton Draw

By Daily Sports on November 8, 2021

New Tottenham boss Antonio Conte says the "heart" shown by his players has given him confidence after the Italian's first Premier League game in charge ended in a goalless draw at Everton.

The ink on Conte's work permit was barely dry when he was handed the full Tottenham Hotspur experience on Thursday in a chaotic 3-2 Europa Conference League win over Vitesse that proved a dress rehearsal for his first top-flight outing.

Conte stuck with his famed 3-4-3 formation and named the same XI for a feisty encounter at Goodison Park in which Mason Holgate was sent off late on for the hosts.

The Spurs boss says he has "different reasons to be happy" following a solid display, despite Tottenham failing to register an effort on target for the second successive Premier League game.

"Today I saw the heart of my players, the passion, the will to fight, the will to sacrifice, to understand this was a very difficult moment for us," said Conte. "And to see this makes me more confident for the future.

"Sometimes you can teach players the tactical aspect and physical aspect, but the heart and passion you either have or not - my players showed me they are in a good position, this is a good point to start."

Just eight days ago, the commitment of the Tottenham players was being questioned after a hapless 3-0 defeat by Manchester United that proved the end of Nuno Espirito Santo's short tenure in north London.

Spurs moved quickly to install Conte, the man they hope can bring some long-awaited silverware to the club and someone who has racked up five top-flight league titles since Tottenham last won a trophy - the League Cup in 2007-08.

Conte was late for his pre-match news conference on Friday because a session overran, a message if any of his players doubted it, that the 52-year-old will demand complete commitment from his squad if he is to knock them into the shape required to play his desired style of football.

That theme has been echoed in interviews with Tottenham players since their new boss arrived - a need for the squad to also take responsibility.

"For a player, to get this kind of information is very motivating," midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg told BBC Radio 5 Live before kick-off. "If you have the right attitude and the right will to work, you will only improve under a great manager like this.

"I know we've only had each other for four days, but you feel the intensity, you feel the hunger, you feel the willingness to sacrifice everything to try and win. I can only learn from the coach and listen and improve on my game.

"It's a pleasure for me and the team to have a leader like the coach we have now with his coaching staff." (BBC)

•PHOTO: Tottenham boss Antonio Conte

Source Daily Sports

Posted November 8, 2021