CONTE’S POWER RANGERS
Spurs shows signs of manager’s new plan
IF Antonio Conte was seriously hoping to keep a lid on expectations on this side of north London then this was not the way to begin.
With goals flowing and Conte’s players in hungry and menacing mood, punishing Southampton’s frailties and seizing clinically upon their good fortune, Tottenham started this season as they ended the last.
Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier and Dejan Kulusevski were on target, after James Ward-Prowse struck first for Southampton, although the third came courtesy of a comical own goal by Mohamed Salisu.
‘A really good start,’ said Tottenham manager Conte. ‘Really important to have this reaction because we were 1-0 down despite starting well, with great personality and good possession to create many situations to score.
‘We kept calm, we continued to play the way that we know. We won three important points but the most important thing was that we won them with really good football, with the ball, without the ball, with important pressure.’
It seems that stage two of the Conte transformation will revolve around the attitude and physical power of his team.
‘Characteristics to play intense football, to play this type of modern football,’ said the Italian, when asked what he had been trying to add with his business in the transfer market this summer.
‘It is normal for a player to have quality but at the same time he has to be strong physically, a good engine, stamina, because this league is very, very difficult, totally different to other leagues.
‘We need players to have quality but to be strong physically and to run. To run a lot. To bring intensity because I like to press but you need to have a strong player to play this type of football with high pressure.’
Tottenham took only one point from two games against Southampton last season and perhaps feared the worst when Ward-Prowse opened the scoring in the 12th minute.
Moussa Djenepo twisted Emerson Royal inside and out and clipped the ball back to Ward-Prowse, unmarked on the edge of the penalty area and he applied a clean and accurate volley that skidded into the turf and spun beyond the dive of Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Conte has an array of options at right wing-back and this was not an ideal start for Royal, whose next contribution was a desperate dive in a bid to win a penalty at the other end. Referee Andre Marriner was having none of it and quite rightly.
Another chance fell to the visitors as Spurs searched for their rhythm. Cristian Romero’s poor defensive header dropped to Adam Armstrong on the half volley. But he snatched at it, dragging it wide.
It was not an easy chance but Armstrong was cross. He understood the value of a two-goal lead. Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, dressed up in his wedding reception finery accessorised with tennis shoes, thought the same judging by his anguished reaction.
Tottenham took the hint and assumed control. Sessegnon levelled, stealing in to beat Kyle Walker-Peters in the air at the back post and head Kulusevski’s wonderful teasing cross past Gavin Bazunu, making his debut in goal for Southampton.
It was Kulusevski’s first Premier League goal for Spurs and he went on to enjoy perhaps his best performance for the club, always threatening in attack, although this was not enough to prevent Conte replacing him with his first substitute, Ivan Perisic. Bazunu saved from Son Heung-min on the half-hour before Southampton slipped behind from the resulting corner, which they cleared only to find the home side recycle possession. Son curled in a cross from the left and Dier escaped his marker to glance a header into the net.
From here, Tottenham stretched away. Bazunu made saves from Ben Davies and Harry Kane before the interval and Sessegnon had a goal ruled out, just offside, seconds after the restart.
Royal made excellent use of his room for improvement in the second half, heading one chance over and then forcing the third after a slick counter-attack.
Salisu chased back as Royal drove forward, traded passes and squared with a low cross from the left and the Saints defender seemed certain to clear the danger with a simple side-footer, only to miscue and see the ball slice off his heel and into the net.
Tottenham accepted the gift and promptly added a fourth. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg released Royal on another raid down the right. The Brazilian picked out Kulusevski and the Swede jinked on to his left foot and curled a shot inside the far post.
The points were safe, even if Conte’s team did get careless as the parade of late substitutes rolled on. Romero was lucky to escape a yellow card for a typically reckless tackle on Oriel Romeu and the visitors created and wasted good chances in the closing stages.
It was an afternoon to forget for the visitors as they returned to the south coast. One to fuel the dreams for Spurs but next week at Chelsea will offer a truer measure of their progress.
‘Last season we played Chelsea three games in 12 days,’ said Conte. ‘We lost three games and didn’t score. They showed they were much better than us. Realistically, we have to wait before making judgment for this season.’