Conte shares what he asked of Spurs players ‘for the first time’ ahead of West Ham clash

Antonio Conte has admitted that he told his players he wanted to see them play football and enjoy the game ahead of their clash against West Ham.

With their 3-1 win over the Hammers on Sunday, Tottenham finally broke their run of wins followed by losses, by stringing together back-to-back wins in the Premier League for the first time since boxing day (Evening Standard).

In fact, the scoreline flattered the away side, with the Lilywhites dominating both halves and having plenty of opportunities to score.

There were several positives to take from the match for Spurs, including the return to form of Son Heung-min, who netted a brace.

The win also brings the North Londoners right back into the thick of the race for Champions League qualification.

Conte revealed that he wanted the players to play good football against the Hammers as he felt the team was ready to take the next step after their progress over the last few months.

Speaking after the 3-1 win, the Italian told Spurs TV: “Today before the game for the first time I ask to my players I want to enjoy today, to see you play football because I know now that the team is ready.

“It’s ready to play good football and we have the right time to memorise many tactical situations.

“We have to go better and better, but for me, it’s important because you can have a training session in different ways, but the players have to see that the training session improves our performances.

“What happens here is the coach is happy because the players trust you not just 100% but 120%.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I have been one of Conte’s harshest critics over the last month or so as I felt that some of our performances (like the ones against Burnley and Boro) were as bad as anything we saw under Nuno Espirito Santo. However, it is evident that the team has made a lot of progress and that the players are starting to get a better understanding of the system.

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