Antonio Conte won league titles with Inter Milan, Chelsea and Juventus
Antonio Conte, the new Tottenham manager, says that the "heart" of his players gave him confidence after Everton's Premier League match ended in a 0-0 draw.
Conte was still able to use his work permit, but it was just barely dry when he received the full Tottenham Hotspur experience in a chaotic Europa Conference League win over Vitesse. This was a dress rehearsal for his debut top-flight appearance.
Conte stayed with his 3-4-3 formation, and named the same XI for an aggressive encounter at Goodison Park. Mason Holgate was sent off for the hosts late in the game.
Spurs boss Tony Pulis says that he has "different reasons" to be happy after a strong performance, even though Tottenham failed to score a goal in the second Premier League match.
Conte said, "Today, I saw the heart and passion of my players, fight for their cause, sacrifice to make it a difficult time for them. This makes me feel more optimistic for the future.
"You can sometimes teach players the tactical and physical aspects, but you cannot teach them the heart and passion. My players showed me that they were in a good place, so this is a good place to start."
"It's a pleasure having a leader such as Conte"
Conte happy with draw in Spurs' first league match
Eight days ago, Tottenham players were being questioned about their commitment after a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Manchester United. This proved that Nuno Espirito Sante's short term in north London was over.
Spurs quickly installed Conte, who they hope will bring silverware to the club. Conte has won five top-flight league titles and the League Cup in 2007.
Conte was delayed for Friday's pre-match press conference because of a session overload. This message was clear to his players that the 52-year old will require complete commitment from his team if he wants to get them in the right shape to play the style of football he desires.
Interviews with Tottenham players have echoed this theme since the arrival of their new boss - it is important that the squad also takes responsibility.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, a midfielder, said that it was very motivating for a player to receive this type of information before kick-off. A great manager will help you improve if you have the right attitude, and you are willing to work hard.
Although we have only been together for four days, it is clear that you can feel the intensity, hunger and willingness to give everything in order to win. I can only learn from my coach, listen to him and improve my game.
"It's a pleasure to have a coach like the one we have now with his coaches.
Nigel de Jong, a former Dutch midfielder, says that it will take players such as Hojbjerg for Conte to get his ideas across to Spurs to succeed.
De Jong said that Conte would give the right energy to his team, according to 5 Live. "If you don’t want to ride on his train, he will kick your off. It doesn't really matter how large you are.
"We'll see some surprises. The players who were written off will be brought back in. Tottenham fans should be excited. We'll find out if Tottenham has the mentality to work alongside Conte."
Kane's best friend Conte:
Harry Kane managed only two touches in the box against Everton
Conte has shown a knack of getting the best from his forwards in his past successes. England captain Harry Kane spoke prior to this match about how excited he was to work alongside his new boss.
The normally prolific forward, who was at the top of the Premier League's assists and goals charts last season, has only scored once in the league so far and had just two touches against Everton.
Tottenham's front three failed to score a goal in frustrating circumstances. They last scored in the 44th minute of a 1-0 loss at West Ham two week ago.
With two minutes left, substitute Giovani lo Celso hit a post from a distance. Conte's marauding wings-backs also had their chances but the ball often fell short.
Conte stated, "I must be happy because I began to see some tactical scenarios." "We can improve, and there is a lot of room for improvement in different tactical situations, physically, as well as the mentality.
"If there is one negative aspect to this, it would be that we made many errors with the last pass. If we did the final pass correctly, we have chances to score."
De Jong, a former Manchester City midfielder, believes that the chairman Daniel Levy must give De Jong time to communicate his ideas.
De Jong stated, "We all know what Daniel Levy looks like, he's very impatient when it involves his club, and he tries as hard as he can to get involved."
"I hope that he gives Conte enough space and freedom to make his mark on this squad."
