Tottenham throw away two-target lead at bottom side Southampton Spurs had been three-1 up with 16 minutes left but James Ward-Prowse’s stoppage-time penalty rescued three-three draw for Saints Spurs head coach Antonio Conte: “I see a lot of selfish players and I do not see a group”

20:22, UK, Saturday 18 March 2023

Furious Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has hit out at his “selfish players” for not wanting to play “beneath stress” in an extraordinary post-match rant following they threw away a two-target lead at bottom side Southampton.

Spurs led three-1 at Saints with 16 minutes to go and looked on course to move third, but they conceded twice late on as James Ward-Prowse’s stoppage-time penalty rescued a three-three draw for the property side.

Conte told Sky Sports following the three-three draw: “I am not utilized to seeing this sort of scenario. I see a lot of selfish players and I do not see a group.”

He added in his post-match press conference, which lasted ten minutes: “We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that do not want to aid every other and do not place their heart [in].”

Tottenham’s collapse at St Mary’s caps off a miserable March for the club who had been dumped out of each the FA Cup and the Champions League earlier this month to leave them trophyless considering the fact that 2008.

Asked why it is taking place in his post-match press conference, the Italian responded: “Due to the fact they are utilized to it right here, they are utilized to it. They do not play for some thing significant, yeah.

“They do not want to play beneath stress, they do not want to play beneath tension. It is straightforward in this way. Tottenham’s story is this.

“Twenty years there is the owner and they never ever won some thing but why? The fault is only for the club, or for each manager that remain right here.

Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte criticises his side following their late collapse at Southampton, claiming his players lack duty and believes they do not appear like a group

“You threat to disrupt the figure of the manager and to defend the other scenario in each moment.

“Till now I attempt to hide the scenario but now, no, mainly because I repeat, I do not want to see what I have observed these days mainly because this is unacceptable and also unacceptable for the fans.

“They adhere to us, spend for their ticket and to see the group yet another time, to have this sort of overall performance is unacceptable. We have to assume a lot about this.”

Conte: They can adjust manager but the scenario will not adjust

Conte’s Spurs contract expires this summer time and there is a increasing belief he will depart prior to the finish of the season.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher believes the 53-year-old’s outburst is a sign he desires to be sacked.

Carragher tweeted: “Conte desires to be sacked in this international break. Spurs should really just place him out of his misery and do it tonight.”

Fellow Sky Sports pundit and former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp added: “It feels as if his position is becoming untenable.”

Quizzed on if the lack of clarity more than his future had impacted the squad, Conte pushed back at yet another “alibi” for his beneath-performing players throughout a passionate monologue.

“You are locating an alibi, yet another alibi,” he stated. “You attempt to locate an excuse for the players.”

He added: “The club has the duty for the transfer marketplace. Each coach that stayed right here has the duty and the players? The players? Exactly where are the players?

“In my encounter, I can inform you that if you want to be competitive, if you want to fight, you have to strengthen this aspect and this aspect, I can inform you, in this moment is genuinely, genuinely low.

“And I see only 11 players that play for themselves.

“There are ten games to go and some folks assume we can fight. Fight for what with this spirit, this attitude, this commitment? What? For seventh, eighth, 10th spot? I am not utilized to this position.

“I am genuinely upset and everybody has to take their duty. Not only the club, the manager and the employees, the players have to be involved in this scenario mainly because it is time to adjust this scenario if Tottenham want to adjust.

“If they want to continue in this way, they can adjust the manager, a lot of managers, but the scenario can not adjust. Think me.”

Conte: We are going backwards

Image:
Conte appears dejected at the finish of the three-three draw at Southampton

The draw at Southampton dented Tottenham’s leading-4 hopes with Conte’s side now just two points above fifth-placed Newcastle, who have two games in hand on them.

Conte told Sky Sports: “If I have to evaluate this season and the improvement we are performing this season compared to final season, I assume as an alternative of enhancing the scenario we are losing the function that we did final season.

“I do not speak about the tactical aspect, I am speaking about the spirit, the sense of duty about the heart that we have to place onto the pitch.

“Currently against Southampton you are winning three-1 and you really feel the perception my perception is that something can take place in each moment. And to be scared, scared of what [might] take place.

“The players, the players have to take the duty mainly because what we are seeing in the final month I do not like. I do not like.”