Conte reveals four of Tottenham’s summer signings are now ‘ready’ to start

Antonio Conte has revealed that the likes of Yves Bissouma, Clement Lenglet and Richarlison are now ready to start matches for Tottenham, having got accustomed to the side’s way of playing.

This summer, Tottenham bucked their modus operandi of waiting until the final weeks of the transfer window to make moves, and completed the bulk of their signings early.

That meant the players who came through the door have had a full pre-season to get used to the demands of Conte’s system.

Out of the six signings Spurs have made this summer (other than Destiny Udogie, who has been loaned back to Udinese), only Perisic has started a match for the club so far, while Richarlison, Bissouma and Lenglet have made appearances off the bench.

Conte explained that his reluctance to give them starts was down to wanting them to fully adapt, both tactically and physically, to the team’s style of play.

The Italian added that the new signings are now ready to take to the field and confirmed they will get their opportunities over the next few weeks, with matches now coming thick and fast.

Conte told Football.London: “It’s positive for me to have players early because we can work with the new players and bring these players into our ideas.

“Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Bissouma, Perisic – they are ready to go into the team and to play. We will do it because it would be crazy to think we can play the same team every game in 23 days with the same team.”

“We have just started the season and it was impossible for these players to have more minutes. Now we start the season and for sure every single player has to play.

“I think it was really good for me to have these players early because in this way we work together to adapt themselves in the tactical and physical aspect.

“Sometimes I am really surprised when I see players who sign the day before and the day later they play because when there is organisation, or a tactically idea to sign a player the day before and a day later he plays?

“Yeah, it is difficult for the player to go into an idea, if there is an idea of football.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I have not been surprised that Conte has stuck with the players that were here last season for the first three matches.

The Italian’s system is more reliant on automatisms, both on and off the ball, than it is on individual quality, and so, it is understandable why he would want to use the players who are well-versed with their roles.

Now that the new signings have had a couple of months to get used to the Italian system, we will likely see more of them getting starts.

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