Conte out to see if Spurs can hold ‘this type of a monster’

ANTONIO CONTE has discovered the Jekyll and Hyde concoction that turns Liverpool into “monsters”.

Now he wants his Tottenham players to get a taste of the same stuff when they travel to Anfield for a huge encounter that could settle the destination of the title, and the Champions League qualification race.

Conte described the magic formula as a “winning mentality”.

Jurgen Klopp called his own Liverpool players “mentality monsters”, after they kept their Quadruple dream alive by beating Villarreal on Tuesday to reach the Champions League final.

It was a term echoed by Conte when he was asked what he feels has marked Liverpool out this season.

It is also why he sees today’s trip as vital in his team’s development.

“It will be very important, not only to get the points, but also to understand the level we are reaching in this kind of game,” Conte said.

“And also to understand this type of monster.

“A lot of people speak about ‘winning mentality’ but you start to get the ‘winning mentality’ when you start to win.

“When you start to win, you understand the work that you did brought this result.

“When you start to win, winning becomes a drug and you want to repeat it.

“You want to have this fantastic moment, to celebrate, to feel in this moment you are the best.

“In the same moment this makes you stronger because when you win it means you are the best.

“When you know you’re the best, you are feeling your belief starting to rise. “This is important, because when you are a winner and you start the game, you know that at the end, sooner or later, you are going to win.”

It is a recipe for success that chairman Daniel Levy is desperate to reproduce at Spurs – but Conte, above, explains it is a hard act to follow.

“First of all, it depends on the desire of the club,” he said.

“Liverpool put Jurgen in charge seven years ago, they wanted to build something important and to bring Liverpool again to fight for the Champions League, to win titles and to continue the important story of Liverpool.

“If you want to create something important you need time, you need patience, especially if you start to work with a team that starts behind the top positions. It is not easy.”