Report: Sources suggest Conte’s intense training could be problem for Spurs

A report from ESPN claims sources have suggested Antonio Conte’s intense approach to training and fitness could be causing problems for Tottenham Hotspur players.

The Italian is renowned for working his players hard and pushing them to their limits when it comes to fitness drills, to ensure they are in peak physical condition.

This was evidenced when images surfaced from Tottenham’s pre-season tour of Korea, where players were seen vomiting and collapsing due to exertion (Times).

The results of such an approach are clear to see on the pitch, though. Before Antonio Conte arrived, Spurs registered as the lowest-performing teams when it came to distance covered during Nuno Espirito Santo’s reign, while they quickly became one of the best teams in the same area under Conte (CaughtOffside).

Spurs star Dejan Kulusevski commented recently on the ‘double sessions’ the team were undertaking in training to remain sharp during the mid-season break (Sky Sports), though admittedly the team has not looked at their best since the domestic season resumed.

Now ESPN sources have suggested that Conte’s approach twinned with the hectic schedule imposed by the 2022 World Cup could be a big problem for Spurs.

Apparently, some figures close to the club are now questioning “whether Conte’s gruelling training sessions are fully appropriate” given the fact this season has been condensed so much by the scheduling of a winter World Cup.

It’s also insinuated that Conte’s management style and Tottenham’s approach to running the club are clashing at the moment, and that both parties need to make adjustments in order for the partnership to work.

Spurs Web Opinion

I’m not too sure about this one. There’s definitely a case to be made for pushing the players too far, and they certainly do look sluggish at the moment, but striving to have excellent fitness levels should never really be an issue.

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