‘I don’t like to tell a good lie’ – Conte gives more details on ‘honest’ meeting with Levy and Paratici
Antonio Conte has admitted that he had a ‘good’ meeting with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy and the club’s managing director of football Fabio Paratici, where he gave an honest assessment of the squad.
Tottenham’s results have improved significantly since Conte took over from Nuno Espirito Santo at the start of November.
However, the Italian has publicly admitted on multiple occasions that he feels that there is a gap in quality between the North Londoners’ squad and the best teams in the Premier League.
Conte has now revealed that he let Levy know his thoughts about what Spurs need moving forward.
The Tottenham head coach told Football.London: “It was a good meeting also because when you have the possibility to speak to the owner and the sporting director – with Paratici I have the possibility to speak every day – but to have the possibility to speak with our owner it was important.
“Also because I like to have this type of relationship, to be honest, and to always tell the truth. You know I don’t like to tell a good lie to keep a good relationship or to show me very soft or to be too polite.
“It was good to tell the truth and it was a good meeting. Now for me, it’s ok, I asked the club time to take my evaluation.
“The club asked after one month to have a meeting and I said no, I prefer to have another month to make the right evaluation. It’s honest, to give more time to me and also the players, to show me who deserves to stay here.
“Now the situation is very clear and I had this meeting, I was satisfied to have this conversation with the owner and now it’s ok for me.”
Conte explained that he had asked for more time to assess the squad, admitting he now has a better understanding of Tottenham’s situation after working with the players for more than two months.
The 52-year-old said that having communicated his feeling to the club’s hierarchy, he is now fully focused on getting the best out of the players at his disposal.
The Italian added: “Now I have only one way. It’s on the pitch and the training sessions every day. My only way to improve the situation is to improve the level of my players and this way the level of the team is going to rise.
“Then, the club know the situation and if they want to help me another way I appreciate it. Otherwise, I continue to work the way I am working. I think that it’s not only for me but for every coach. If you stay outside you can have a vision. You have to stay inside.
“When you’re into the club you have the opportunity to understand very well the situation because you have the possibility to work with the players every day, to see the structure, to see everything about the club.
“Outside it’s difficult. You can have one vision and only when you stay inside, you go into the club and then you can have the right evaluation about the environment, about the squad, about the players and I think this is normal not only for me but for every coach.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Reading between the lines of Conte’s statement, it sounds like the assessment of the squad he gave to Levy and Paratici had changed significantly from the one he gave when he took over two and half months ago. Perhaps he feels some of the players he counted on, are not as good as he initially thought.
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