Levy has worked out that Conte is different. He doesn’t bluff

Here is what separates Antonio Conte from his predecessors at Tottenham. He doesn’t make idle threats. Mauricio Pochettino loved a bit of brinkmanship. The build-up to the Champions League final in 2019 was consumed by round after round of will-he, won’t-he, concerning his future. It became all about the manager, whether he would get the guarantees about budgets, whether he would jump ship for real Madrid or Manchester United. And then he went nowhere. It was hardly a surprise that Daniel Levy’s patience was swiftly exhausted.

Then came Jose Mourinho. More politics, more disruption, allied to a scorched earth policy that has marked his later roles. Yet again, Mourinho did not jump, he was pushed.

Conte’s different. Conte means it. That is why he gets things done. We all know Levy likes a deal, and we all know when he likes to do them. Late. As late as possible. Come transfer deadline day there is always some poor soul standing in the pitch black outside Tottenham’s training ground waiting for 10.59pm and a puff of white smoke.

Conte took one look at that and didn’t fancy it. And unlike Levy’s previous managers he doesn’t bluff. If Levy was under any illusions about what Conte does if displeased, he only need look at his last job. Conte wasn’t impressed by what was happening at Inter Milan, warned he would walk, then walked. And he was sending those messages to Tottenham, too.

He wanted business done, and done early. And he got it. As a result, Tottenham supporters are enjoying their most optimistic pre- season in years. They love that Conte has his squad together. They love that there is no longer speculation around Harry Kane. They love having a manager with a winning track record. And they probably love seeing players worked to the point of collapse in training, too.

It all adds up to the picture of Conte as a serious manager, capable of making Tottenham contenders again. No more Spursy. No more lads, it’s Tottenham. They look further ahead than Arsenal and Manchester United, and who knows what Chelsea will be with so much recruitment ongoing?

It can be argued that, for Levy, the penny has finally dropped. It is pointless employing a gun manager, or an astute director of football like Fabio Paratici, if you then stand as the obstacle to their success. Yet it also needs an uncompromising figure like Conte to make it work, to apply the pressure, to demand the focus that is required to reach the very top.

Levy may feel a little lost come September 1 if the phone isn’t ringing and nobody is eulogising his brinkmanship skills, but he is also still waiting for his first trophy as chairman since the 2008 League Cup. Conte might change that, too — and winning is easily as much fun as getting a deal done.