Tim Sherwood has claimed Antonio Conte is now ‘under pressure’ to deliver at Tottenham after being significantly backed by Daniel Levy in the transfer market.
Set to lead Spurs in his first full season in charge, the Italian coach has been busy adding to his squad after securing Champions League football last term.
Richarlison was signed in a £60 million deal from Everton to bolster the forward ranks (The Guardian), while midfielder Yves Bissouma joined from Brighton.
The pair arrived after Spurs brought in Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster on free transfers as France international defender Clement Lenglet moved to north London on loan from Barcelona.
Meanwhile, a sixth acquisition in Middlesbrough wing-back Djed Spence was also announced today, with Conte now set to have a plethora of squad options at his disposal.
While Tottenham’s approach to using the transfer market has shown a clear change, Sherwood feels the switch by chairman Levy has put the responsibility to deliver success on Conte’s shoulders as he now has the tools available to him.
Speaking on behalf of 888sport, Sherwood said: “This is a very different tack to what I’ve seen before from Daniel Levy. Obviously, he normally leaves it very late in the window to do his business so as to get value in the market.
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“But Antonio has a good knack for getting what he wants from chairmen and why shouldn’t that be the case here, when you look at the success he’s had as a player and how starved of success Spurs have been.
“When you have a manager like that coming in, calling the shots, you have to let him take the lead. So Daniel has done the right thing even if ideally, he likes to leave it late. Here he’s said, ’Antonio, I’m going to back you’ and they have got their business done.
“Antonio Conte is one of the best training ground managers these is. He likes to work with his group on the field and get his philosophies nailed into the players. So you have to give Daniel a lot of praise for backing his manager and allowing him time to do that.
“But that comes with a lot of pressure now and Antonio knows this. We know Man City and Liverpool are going to be there but we’re unsure about what Chelsea will do and we’re totally unsure about Manchester United and how they will respond under Ten Hag.
“So it’s there for Tottenham to cement that top four place year after year like they did under Pochettino.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Levy’s change in attitude towards the way he operates in the transfer market has been refreshing as most of the signings have arrived in a timely manner.
Overall, it just helps them settle into their new surroundings and familiarise themselves with everything, including what Conte is likely to expect of them.
The squad isn’t there just yet but it is in a much better state than it previously was, so it should allow Conte to field more competitive teams on a regular basis.
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