Conte explains why he was slow to make substitutions vs Man Utd

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has explained his use of substitutes in the disappointing defeat to Manchester United, after he appeared reluctant to make changes during the game.

It was a miserable night at Old Trafford for Tottenham, who were played off the park by the home side. Spurs were outclassed in every area, and succumbed to a 2-0 defeat, which could easily have been more had it not been for Hugo Lloris.

For many, this was the worst performance of the season from a Spurs side who seemingly allowed themselves to be on the backfoot from the word go. The question on everyone’s mind though, is why Conte didn’t make any changes to the team earlier in the game.

Conte opted for his less-favoured 3-5-2 formation for the visit to Manchester, as opposed to his usual 3-4-3 setup. Having the three midfielders has been effective in the past, but failed to work against United.

Speaking in his post-match press conference (via Football.London), Conte explained his tactical decisions and why he was reluctant to go to the bench to try and change the game.

He said: “With Kulusevski and Richarlison out injured it was difficult to change the game.

“With Lucas and his tendon we are trying not to push him too much. We don’t want again as he had a setback two weeks ago.

“The solution to the bench today we played with the three midfielders and only had the two strikers.

“We have many young players, this game are difficult for all players and for young players much more difficult.”

Spurs Web Opinion

While injuries to key players certainly forced Conte’s hand in terms of the formation to start the game, he could clearly see the set up wasn’t working and should have pulled the trigger in changing things a lot sooner.

Yes, the players on the bench are young, but the performance couldn’t have got much worse anyway. I really hope Conte starts giving his younger lads a chance to impress soon and show how hungry they are to break into this team.

Some of the older, more experienced players could do with a kick up the backside, and a good performance from a youngster off the bench could do just that.

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