Former Tottenham midfielder, Jamie O’Hara, has criticized Tottenham’s head coach, Antonio Conte, for his recent comments regarding the team’s poor performances. O’Hara believes that Conte must take full responsibility for the decisions he has made both on and off the pitch since becoming the head coach, rather than trying to blame others.
Conte has made wholesale changes to the squad by offloading several players and bringing 11 new players in through the door during his time at the club. However, following their 3-3 draw against Southampton, Conte took aim at his squad in an entirely unhinged manner. The Italian accused the players of playing for themselves and lacking the ability to cope with pressure. He also suggested that Spurs are used to failure over the last two decades.
While O’Hara admitted that the Tottenham hierarchy deserves criticism, he insisted that Conte has to take responsibility for the ‘diabolical’ football he has served at the club. O’Hara said on talkSPORT, “I don’t disagree with criticism of Levy and I’ve said it before about taking the club forward, he hasn’t helped, he hasn’t brought in the best players, but the comments of Conte…I don’t disagree with the comments about passion, the desire to win, the mentality of the players, but it’s how he said it, where he said it, and the timing of it.”
O’Hara also questioned how the Italian can absolve himself of any blame for some of Spurs’ recent results. If the attitude of the Tottenham squad is as poor as Conte suggests, then there is no doubt that he deserves a lot of the blame for it. This is not the squad that the 53-year-old inherited. He has got rid of a whole host of players, with the club even deciding to forgo transfer fees and loan out many of them. Around half the squad are his signings, so it reflects poorly on his own decision-making.
Conte’s recent rant has raised concerns about the future of Tottenham under his leadership. While his passion and desire to win are admirable, his comments could have a negative impact on the squad’s morale. It remains to be seen how the situation will be resolved, but one thing is clear: if Tottenham is to improve, both Conte and the Tottenham hierarchy must take responsibility for their actions and work together to find a solution.