Antonio Conte says Tottenham players need to ‘spend time’ as they suffer | Tottenham Hotspur

Antonio Conte wants his Tottenham players to use the dark arts to manage periods of misery during matches. The manager, who is preparing for Sunday’s home game against Newcastle, had time to reflect on Wednesday’s sobriety Defeated Manchester United 2-0.

Conte didn’t feel the first half was as negative as he initially thought, but he lamented his team’s inability to respond after United took the lead through Fred in the 47th minute. He spoke of poor decision-making in possession, loose passes and “stupid” turnovers, partly influenced by the workload, which he said needs to be handled better.

The Italian was at his most interesting when discussing how to cope when the opposition go nuts, as United did from around the 20th minute. Spurs appeared to have no solution and were beaten when Bruno Fernandes added a second strike on 69 minutes.

“Sometimes when you suffer … I was a player … you take the ball and put it outside the stadium,” Conte said. “Or if you have an injury, you stay [down]. I see many, many teams in England – they understand the moment they suffer. One player stops, loses time. During this period you breathe. Your mind becomes clear again. It’s an experience.

“If you’re suffering a lot, you have to understand that maybe now is not the right time to keep playing from behind. Go up with the long ball and fight for the second ball.’

Conte noted that “you can’t buy experience.” In relation to the Spurs situation, he meant that he can’t bring in the number of ready-made stars he wants because they are too expensive, meaning a patient, step-by-step approach is needed. He doesn’t always look like the most patient person.

Conte’s frustration is compounded by his side having to play seven more games in the 20 days before the World Cup, as well as injuries to Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison. Kulusevski suffered a setback in training last week and Conte is worried he may not be back for the World Cup. Lucas Moura is not yet ready to start after a hamstring problem.