Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte slammed his "selfish" players, claiming they "didn't want to play under pressure" after they missed an opportunity to move up to third in the Premier League with a 3-3 draw away to bottom-of-the-table Southampton on Saturday.
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After Pedro Porro and Harry Kane had already given Spurs the lead, Ivan Perisic scored in the 74th minute to provide them with a crucial victory in their fight for Champions League qualifying.
At that point, the visitors' score was 3-1 after Che Adams cancelled Porro's opening score.
However, the Saints fought back, as Theo Walcott halved the score in half in the 77th minute before James Ward-late Prowse's penalty increased Spurs' road winless streak to five games.
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Tottenham has gone 15 years without winning a major trophy after their recent losses to AC Milan, and Sheffield United caused them to exit the Champions League and FA Cup, respectively.
Tottenham still only leads Newcastle by two points in the battle for the fourth and final Champions League spot, but Newcastle has two games in hand, and Conte was in no mood to spare his team's feelings during a 10-minute outburst at St Mary's.
"We enter the field with 11 players. I see selfish guys, I see players who don't want to support one another, and I see players who don't give it their all," he remarked.
"Why? They are accustomed to it because it is a commonplace here. No, they don't compete for a significant award. They don't like to play under tension or have to perform under pressure. It simplifies it. The tale of Tottenham is this. The owner has been there for twenty years, but why have they never won anything? Only the club or manager who continues to lead this organization is responsible. I have observed the managers Tottenham have sitting on the sidelines".
It Was "Unacceptable."
The 53-year-old Italian, who has previously led Juventus, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and the Italy national team, did, however, express sorrow for the club's long-suffering fans.
"Up until now, try to hide the situation, but now, no," he said, "because, once again, I don't want to witness what I witnessed today, both because it's unacceptable and terrible for the fans".
"This type of performance is unacceptable. They adhere to us, purchase a ticket, and return to see the squad."
Even if Antonio Conte's future is still up in the air because his contract expires at the end of the current campaign, Tottenham's victory over Nottingham Forest last week was a morale booster.
Yet, the manager argued that rumours about his job were another "alibi" for a poorly performing team.
Only 11 players are playing for themselves.
"There are still 10 games left, and some believe we can win. Fight for what with this attitude, this devotion, and this spirit? What? For the seventh, eighth, or tenth spot? I'm not accustomed to this role. I'm quite outraged, and everyone must take accountability. The players must be involved in this scenario as well as the club, the manager, and the staff because, if Tottenham is to change", it is time to change this situation.
"If they want to keep doing this, they can switch managers—there are plenty of managers—but the issue won't alter. Trust me."
