Tottenham 3-2 Vitesse : Behind the scene look into Antonio Conte’s first match as Spurs manager

Antonio Conte witnessed an eventful first game in charge of Tottenham Hotspur, with his side just about holding on to earn a 3-2 victory against Vitesse in the Europa Conference League.

Buoyed on by adrenaline and the new manager bounce, Heung-Min Son, Lucas Moura and an own goal from Jacob Rasmussen gave Spurs a 3-0 lead in the first half.

However Rasmussen and Matus Bero reduced the deficit for the Dutch side and set up an epic second half .

Vitesse were dangerous throughout the second half and mounted pressure when Tottenham’s Cristian Romero was sent off, but the visitors would also have Danilho Doekhi and Markus Schubert red carded.

In the end, Antonio Conte got the win he wanted and Spurs moved to second in group G behind french side Rennes.

What Antonio Conte said after the win

Conte said after his first match: “My first impressions are that it was a crazy game and we were leading the game and dominating and scored three goals.

“Then we conceded two goals and we lost a lot of confidence and we have to work on that, but we should win and we won.

“On the balance of game, we should win and we won, but if you know me well I don’t like these types of games because when there is a possibility to kill your opponent you must kill the game.

“Also some games you must win suffering and my players showed me a lot of commitment and I really like that.”

The first days

Most people at the Tottenham Hotspur training ground have already taken to Italian manager Antonio Conte, even before breaking the ice with the new boss.

LondonWorld understands that Conte has paid attention to everyone and is engaging all including the non-playing staff at Hotspur Way.

He has already held talks with some players, but discussions have just been at the basic level as he feels his way around the club.

But Conte has already been making changes, and those have certainly played a part in the huge lift in the last 48 hours.

Delayed visa to start work but still kept an eye on

Twenty-four hours after being announced as head coach, Conte faced his first challenge as Tottenham Hotspur manager.

Delays in sorting out his work permit meant he could not face the media, so the director of football Fabio Paratici and captain Hugo Lloris had to step in for him.

From a football perspective, he kept an eye on as Ryan Mason took the training sessions, while he spent his time speaking to players like Bryan Gil and Ryan Sessegnon, who are working their way back to full fitness in the gym.

He did however hold the technical briefing and pick the starting eleven.

Conte also briefly introduced himself to the entire squad before hammering home the message that the hard work begins now.

He wasn’t too keen on getting into deep conversations with players as work permits issues and media engagements took a chunk of his time.

Increased training hours

As with every Antonio Conte job, his brother Gianluca Conte has followed him, acting as his most trusted lieutenant.

Ryan Mason, Cristian Stellini, Costantino Coratti, Gian Piero Ventrone and Stefano Bruno have all been confirmed as members of his backroom staff.

He normally operates with a huge back room staff, so that did not surprise most of the players.

What did catch them off guard was the two gym sessions that he’s already introduced.

Players have been told that instead of starting training with gym sessions and finishing off on the pitch, they will have an additional gym session that will last around an hour to finish off the day’s work.

Chelsea and England’s John Terry sent out a message on Instagram warning Harry Kane to be prepared to go to work.

And if initial signs are anything to go by, Spurs players will spend more time at the Hotspur Way gym than they have ever done before.

Raised expectations

The brilliant start against Vitesse was a direct response to the positivity and general lift Conte’s appointment has brought to the club.

The drop in performance after the three goals is proof of the mountain of work the Italian manager has to do, to return this club to challenging for Champions League football.

There are a few board members still having reservations of the feisty nature of Conte and the brand of football he normally plays, but generally he has brought a genuine positivity that a coach of his standing should bring to a football club.

Junior team coaches are excited, especially with the decision to add Ryan Mason to the technical team.