Son reveals what Conte is like in Spurs training and key difference from Pochettino

Heung-min Son has revealed that Antonio Conte is always animated during training and explains the Italian uses different pressing methods compared to former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Conte has been overseeing an overhaul at Spurs since his arrival in November, when he was appointed in place of the sacked Nuno Espirito Santo. 

The 52-year-old has lifted spirits in North London and managed to pull Spurs firmly into the race for a spot in next season’s Champions League with just five games of the campaign remaining. 

In that time, spectators have been treated to Conte pacing up and down the touchline barking orders to his players out of the pitch. 

And Son, who is currently Tottenham’s top scorer with 17 Premier League goals (BBC), has lifted the lid on life under Conte, revealing the former Inter Milan boss is ‘always shouting’ in training sessions. 

He told Stadium Astro: “It’s a really positive energy. I just never see him sit down, I never see him set down on the bench, he’s into it, he’s passionate, it’s like he’s playing with us sometimes. He gives so much positive energy because he’s so into it. 

“Every single training session, he’s always shouting, he’s always giving details because if someone doesn’t do what he asks for he gets angry you know?

“The details he asks for are really important for him and really important for us as well. Everyone is just following this direction and everyone loves it.”

Conte’s arrival has also seen Tottenham move up in the running charts after they were previously rock bottom for distance covered under Nuno (Sky Sports). 

Spurs’ recovery in pressing has also been noticeable, which was once a prominent part of the club’s style during the reign of current Paris Saint-Germain boss Pochettino. 

But Son has noted there is a key difference between the two managers and how they want their teams to press, with Conte’s set-up being much more compact.

He added: “Pochettino was also different with a different press and it’s hard to explain because of the details, footballers know what is going on. Antonio Conte has a mind of the press, but there’s more compactness for me, which is really important. 

“Everyone presses together, everyone has to be together and in these details every manager is different, but I’m learning with joy because this manager is giving so much detail and so much improvement, it’s just incredible.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Conte is a manager Tottenham need to do their best to try and keep beyond this summer as he has all the ideas and methods needed to make the club a contender again. 

You can see how dedicated he is from the touchline and it is obvious he is the same in training to try and extract as much as possible from his players. 

On the pitch, you can also see the players are working harder than before which is one of the biggest factors in a successful team. 

Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Related Topics

Have something to tell us about this article? Let us know