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Son Heung-min scored Son's first goal in the Antonio Conte era
Antonio Conte said that it will take a bit of patience to get used to his new role as Tottenham Hotspur's manager after the highly emotional introduction to life in the Europa Conference League win over Vitesse.
Spurs were reduced to 10 players while the Dutch Eredivisie team was reduced to nine. Spurs threatened to lose a three-goal lead but eventually managed to get over the line.
This was far from the organization and solidity that characterized his titles-winning teams at Juventus and Chelsea.
Conte stated to BT Sport that "in my opinion and in my mind there is a lot more room for improvement for the team, in every one of these players."
"We must be patient because we have to work on many things - both tactically and physically, and the players need to understand my desires.
"I don't fear the work. Only by doing the right work, you can achieve important goals.
After replacing Nuno Espirito Sante, the Italian was welcomed warmly by Spurs. They looked like Conte had the perfect start with three goals in the first half.
Son Heung-min scored the first goal in the Conte reign 14 minutes into the game, while Lucas Moura raced clear to add the second just eight minutes later. Jacob Rasmussen seemed to have put Spurs out the sight when he pulled himself into his own net, under pressure from Harry Kane.
Spurs showed their weakness to the new manager when Rasmussen rose from a corner to return home before Matus Bero's cool finish trimmed the deficit before half-time.
Vitesse were a threat throughout the second period, with Hugo Lloris, home keeper, securing superbly against substitute Lois Openda or Riechedly Baazoer.
Spurs lost Cristian Romaro after he was sent off to challenge Openda. However, Vitesse's momentum was stopped when captain Danilho was given a second yellow for pulling down Kane.
As Emerson Royal was clearing, Keeper Markus Schubert quickly followed his lead for handling outside of his area.
Spurs awarded Conte the win that he desired to take them second behind Rennes in Group A.
There are many things to contemplate when it comes to Conte
After a disappointing Spurs performance, Conte will have much to think about and work on. They started with excitement but ran out of energy when faced by a vigorous Vitesse response. The side that was fourth in the Dutch table looked set to overturn their early advantage.
He was pleased with the invention and energy shown in the early stages, but was concerned by how vulnerable Spurs appeared when pressure was applied.
Son was a standout performer. Spurs appeared likely to run wild, but the second half and after the break indicated that Conte will need more confidence and fitness before Sunday's visit at Everton.
He chose his three favorite backs, Eric Dier, Romero and Ben Davies. However, Spurs were not pleased with Vitesse's pace. They also conceded sloppily to a set-piece when Rasmussen began the Vitesse fightback.
Conte was on the touchline intently, encouraging his players and celebrating goals with the same enthusiasm that made him so beloved by Chelsea fans during his successful stint at Stamford Bridge.
The best Conte could have hoped for was to win after just a few days at Spurs. They delivered that win, even though it was a performance that left many questions.
Son Heung Min was the player of the match with an average 6.61 Tottenham Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur
Vitesse Vitesse Vitesse Tottenham Hotspur Avg Squad number 7 Player name Son Heung-Min Average rating 6.61 Squad number 27 Player name Lucas Moura Average rating 5.95 Squad number 1 Player name Lloris Average rating 5.54 Squad number 28 Player name Ndombele Average rating 5.36 Squad number 3 Player name Reguiln Average rating 5.35 Squad number 5 Player name Hjbjerg Average rating 5.30 Squad number 6 Player name D Snchez Average rating 5.21 Squad number 12 Player name Emerson Royal Average rating 5.19 Squad number 8 Player name Winks Average rating 5.13 Squad number 18 Player name Lo Celso Average rating 5.09 Squad number 29 Player name Skipp Average rating 4.91 Squad number 33 Player name Davies Average rating 4.76 Squad number 4 Player name Romero Average rating 4.62 Squad number 10 Player name Kane Average rating 4.41 Squad number 15 Player name Dier Average rating 4.40 Vitesse Avg Squad number 20 Player name Gboho Average rating 6.59 Squad number 11 Player name Baden Frederiksen Average rating 6.52 Squad number 7 Player name Openda Average rating 6.51 Squad number 8 Player name Tronstad Average rating 6.51 Squad number 29 Player name Buitink Average rating 6.49 Squad number 21 Player name Bero Average rating 6.49 Squad number 32 Player name Wittek Average rating 6.48 Squad number 6 Player name Rasmussen Average rating 6.41 Squad number 2 Player name Dasa Average rating 6.39 Squad number 10 Player name Bazoer Average rating 6.28 Squad number 24 Player name Houwen Average rating 6.17 Squad number 3 Player name Doekhi Average rating 6.09 Squad number 9 Player name Darfalou Average rating 6.07 Squad number 1 Player name Schubert Average rating 6.05 Squad number 16 Player name Oroz Average rating 5.74
