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Tottenham Hotspur and Antonio Conte have not had the best marriage and the start of the current season is evidence of the same. The Italian's refreshing tactics upon his arrival last December were a sign of positivity, but things have turned sour since then.
The north London side had a great summer transfer window but are somehow already eight points behind their arch-rivals Arsenal in the Premier League.
The Gunners are currently table toppers and have played one game less than Tottenham. Spurs also scraped past their Champions League group on the last matchday, which, on another day, could have just as easily gone the other way.
While this is a discouraging sign for fans, Conte has not made things easier with the same problems that have led to sackings at each of his former clubs.
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On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why Tottenham Hotspur need to part ways with Antonio Conte soon.
#3 Regressive tactics
Tottenham's recent 4-3 victory against Leeds United might give the idea that the club will play an attractive brand of football, but the truth could not be any further.
While Conte has never necessarily portrayed himself as a flag bearer of forward-thinking football, his defensive tactics are sometimes too regressive.
Albeit he has opted for a front three on most occasions when he has the players to do so, they are never given the full freedom to express themselves.
Much of their attacking football has to do with the individual brilliance of Son Heung-min, Harry Kane, and Dejan Kulusevski rather than Conte's tactics.
Efficiency is highly key as they don't always create multiple chances in games. But in doing so, he is restricting this side from completely expressing their attacking threat just to maintain defensive discipline.
Defending from the front is certainly key, but equal emphasis needs to be placed on attacking as a team.
Conte's inability to allow his players to hit their full potential just to fit them into his system has been a major reason behind the club's substandard performances so far.
Thus, while the results have been decent, the Italian manager's regressive tactics are going to bite Tottenham sooner rather than later in the big scheme of things.
#2 Lack of minutes for young players
While Tottenham are not the hub for honing young talent, they have often signed and promoted youngsters to the senior team over the last 15 years or so.
Players such as Gareth Bale, Kieran Trippier, Dele Alli, and others are examples of the same. But promoting potential talent is a hard ask while Conte is still at the helm of things in the white half of north London. The 53-year-old has never been high on developing young talent and finding places for them in his squad.
During his time at Juventus, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and even the Italian national team, Conte has always relied on experienced and seasoned professionals. Hence, it was no surprise when he reportedly called (as per football.Londondon) the signing of Djed Spence this summer one made by "the club" rather than him.
The right-back has only played three minutes of Premier League football since his move.
Pape Matar Sarr and Bryan Gil are also currently loaned out by the club, while Japhet Tanganga has found it hard to find minutes this season. In fact, the only three U-25 players the Italian has provided valuable minutes to this season are Kulusevski, Emerson Royal, and Ryan Sessegnon.
Tottenham have always had youngsters form part of their squad, especially over the last decade. Mauricio Pochettino's side was able to compete on multiple fronts for the very same reason.
However, with Conte's short-term approach, the club might end up selling some of their best young talents for a few bucks just to bring in a player who might already be past his prime.
#1 No real signs of immediate/future success
One of the main reasons behind hiring Conte nearly a year ago was the Italian's track record of guaranteeing silverware everywhere he goes.
It was also a huge plus that he already had the experience of winning the Premier League and the FA Cup previously with Chelsea. Hence, Tottenham invested in that idea as they had a squad that needed a manager to propel them to the next level.
However, this has turned out to be a poor decision. Spurs seem unlikely to finish in the top four of the Premier League this season, let alone compete for the title.
Cup runs also look hard, especially since they have already been knocked out in the Carabao Cup. The FA Cup in January will be an added workload on top of an already congested league schedule, courtesy of which Conte might sacrifice that competition.
Additionally, the Italian has little to no experience of doing well in the Champions League. His side narrowly got past the group stage this season. Thus, there is no immediate success in Tottenham's future, thereby negating one of the biggest reasons for hiring the 53-year-old.
While things haven't hit rock bottom yet at the N17, Spurs need to understand that the cons of keeping Conte are much greater than their pros at the moment.
