Antonio Conte urges his players to share his ‘anger’ after Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat by Manchester United
Released: 5:31 PM EDT, Oct. 21, 2022 | Updated: 8:19 p.m. EDT, Oct. 21, 2022
Antonio Conte’s overwhelming emotion after defeat is anger, and although he tries to control it, he doesn’t want to banish it. Conte believes that instinctive anger is a key to his winning mentality and urges his players to adopt the same attitude.
“My first reaction is not that I’m worried,” said the Tottenham manager. “It’s not the frustration. My first emotion is that I’m angry.
“I’m angry because I start every game hoping to win. When we lose I’m angry, but angry at myself, not at my players. We have to be clear. Then I try to use that to understand how to improve and avoid defeat.’
Antonio Conte said he was “angry but not worried” after Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat by Man United.
The defeat was the second for Tottenham this season and they remain third in the Premier League
Reflecting on Wednesday’s sobering defeat at Manchester United, Conte added: “I don’t like the loss. I live badly, especially the day after. For me, the day after a loss is really, really bad.
“I’m trying to improve but on the one hand it could be better for my spirit and my family. On the other hand, I know that if I lose that anger to get the right message across to my players, I can lose something important.
“The first step to becoming a winner is to feel that defeat within yourself. When my players start to understand that losing is different than winning, that’s the first step to becoming a winner. I think my players start this process.”
Tottenham have just one point from three away games at Chelsea, Arsenal and United
The 2-0 defeat was only Tottenham’s second of the Premier League season but continues a worrying trend as they have just one point from away games at three of their four biggest rivals, Chelsea, Arsenal and United.
Conte spoke of “bad decisions” and “many mistakes” at Old Trafford, as well as “stupid balls” and passes “not with great accuracy”. He feared some of his players weren’t taking the pressure of the occasion well.
“In big games, when the level is high, there’s a lot of pressure,” he said as he prepared for Sunday’s game against Newcastle.
“We have to try to deal with it. Sometimes when you’re suffering you have to take the ball and put it outside the stadium so you can breathe. Or if you have an injury, stay down.
“I see a lot of teams in England understand when they’re suffering. A player stops and wastes time and in that time you breathe. Your mind will become clear again.
“That’s experience. You can’t buy it. You can only improve by playing, facing situations and finding solutions.”
