Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte has insisted his public outbursts are part of a concerted strategy to send a message to his players, rather than the result of emotion.
Conte has lurched from one extreme to another in recent weeks, describing his squad as the best group he had ever worked with after the 3-2 win over Manchester City before suggesting the players were a problem three days later, following the defeat to Burnley.
Conte appeared particularly frustrated at Turf Moor, questioning if he was the right man for the job in a series of interviews with television, radio and the written press.
Sources at the club suggested the Italian was simply emotional in the wake of a frustrating result, and Conte later appeared to confirm this interpretation, saying he needs at least a day to recover from defeats.
Spurs responded to the reverse at Burnley with a 4-0 win at Elland Road on Saturday, their biggest victory of the season, albeit against a Leeds side in free-fall.
And speaking ahead of Tuesday’s FA Cup tie against Middlesbrough, Conte said all his messages to the press are part of a strategy.
“You have to understand when there is a strategy or not, and not only an emotional moment,” Conte told reporters on Monday.
“It is not right to explain why I talk in one way and after three days I spoke in another way.
“Maybe I can explain to you: every time we have a press conference there is a strategy behind it, not an emotional moment.
“I understood that [after Burnley] was the right moment, after four defeats in five games and a win in the game against Manchester City three days before, to send the right message, a clear message to myself, the club and also the players.
“We have to know we are here to enjoy football, at the same time to improve ourselves, to ask to ourselves for 100 per cent commitment and desire and also to underline that a team like Tottenham does not exist to lose four games in five.
“If someone understood that my words were from an emotional moment, no. In that moment I sent a specific message to the whole environment and it has happened in the past, when I want to push the situation and the environment in the same direction, because I am seeing we can do better.
“It is not because it is an emotional moment, it is because there is a strategy behind [my words].
“But next time I don’t speak! I think it was good that I explained the strategy during the press conference, I am not only in an emotional moment. But sometimes you deserve our right consideration and not a simple or stupid consideration, but go sometimes deeper is sometimes interesting for you.”
Conte, whose side travel to Teesside for Tuesday’s fifth-round tie, also said he wants to repay Spurs fans for the support they have shown him.
Tottenham supporters have taken to regularly chanting the Italian’s name and Conte said: “I want to say thanks to the fans because I think that I don’t deserve as only four months to have this, they chant for me.
“For me this is incredible. I have only to say thanks because they chant my name and they give me a lot of boost every time. But I would like to repay their trust to improve their situation with the players for Tottenham for this club. For sure it is a great boost for me to see the fans in spite only four months that I stay here, they chant my name and they love me. It is the same for me, I want to repay them for this effort they show me and my family.
“Sometimes I am bit upset when the result is not good because as I would like to give them great success from me and the players, because I know the players are totally involved with me to try to give success to the fans.”
(London Evening Standard)
