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Tottenham Hotspur, in a statement of intent, went ahead and recruited serial winner Antonio Conte after relieving Nuno Espirto Santo from his duties. There were negotiations reported between the two parties in the summer as well before the season began, but terms couldn't be agreed. In what was now a desperate attempt, Tottenham had to return to Conte in order to save their team from falling way beyond redemption.
Antonio Conte will not accept any lacklustre performances from Tottenham players
Nuno lost five of his first 10 Premier League games and there were more questions asked than answers given by Tottenham's performances. Conte's fiesty nature and contagious passion will surely reignite the dull spirit in the Tottenham dressing room.
It is well known though that the Italian is a strict figure and takes no nonsense from anyone in the team and even from the hierarchy of the club. He has won domestic titles with Juventus, Chelsea and most recently with Inter Milan. It is highly likely that Conte will imitate his tactics from his Chelsea and Inter Milan days at Tottenham for immediate success.
Having said that, the new gaffer may not have his own favorites yet but he would not take mediocrity from anyone at any cost. There will be some players who will feel they have an opportunity to get back into the squad. Meanwhile, there are also some who would have figured that Conte's appointment could mean an end to their stint with Tottenham.
On that note, here are five players who could suffer under Antonio Conte at Spurs:
#5 Ben Davies
Very often it has been asked whether Ben Davies truly deserves to be at Tottenham and if his performances are good enough. His on-field display has certainly not helped his cause. Davies is nearing 240 appearances in a Tottenham shirt and over the last two years, his performances have been inconsistent.
The left-back has been utilized as a make-shift centre-back on many occasions but he is not one of those no-nonsense kind of defenders.
As a left-back he hasn't been effective in one-on-one situations. Conte will always trust Sergio Reguilon in that role who is also quite attack-minded and is capable of tracking back with urgency.
There is a likelihood that Conte will invest in a stronger option in January to strengthen the left-centreback position in the back-three, which he prefers.
Interestingly, the 28-year old did start in Conte's first game in charge of Tottenham against Vitesse but came close to giving away a penalty in the first half. He also contributed with an assist in the win over Vitesse and retained his place in the side for the Premier League clash against Everton on Sunday.
In the long run, Davies could struggle to establish himself as a regular under Conte and is probably just a stop gap arrangement at the moment.
#4 Harry Winks
Oliver Skipp's rise at Tottenham has definitely proved detrimental to Harry Winks, who has not featured enough for his boyhood club in recent times. Conte placed a lot of trust in Nicolo Barella at Inter and though Skipp is not of the same profile, the new boss might help him develop his character.
The Italian likes his players to be shrewd and tactical fouls are something he appreciates. Winks' reckless nature often gets him booked and he commits fouls in dangerous areas of the pitch which wouldn't be to Conte's liking. He dropped down the pecking order under Jose Mourinho and that did not change under Nuno as well.
Winks has often been described as a neat and tidy player, but Inter did not win Serie A because Arturo Vidal and Marcelo Brozovic were neat and tidy. The England international does not offer anything other than being a crisp passer of the ball.
He hasn't shown composure off the ball and his movement when the team is out of possession hasn't helped in protecting their fragile backline. A double pivot of Højbjerg-Ndombele or Højbjerg-Skipp is undoubtedly more useful to Conte's system. After 180 appearances for Tottenham, the time may have come for Winks to move on rather than become a permanent bench-warmer.
#3 Steven Bergwijn
Antonio Conte knows he will have to generate funds by selling players to make his own Tottenham squad and Steven Bergwijn looks like a profit-making asset right now. Nuno saw Bergwin as an important part of his plans and gave him three consecutive Premier League starts for Spurs. Just as life was coming back on track, the forward sustained an injury.
Now that he is back after recovering, his favoring Portuguese is gone and in comes the fiesty Italian Conte and brings no good news with him. Conte will likely capitalize on the harmonous relationship between Harry Kane and Heung-min Son as he did with Lukaku and Martinez. The Tottenham forwards have formed a lethal formation together and Bergwijn won't get the opportunity to be third wheel.
The Dutchman is not very clinical with his finishing and that has often been frustrating for Tottenham fans. He uses his pace well to run past defenders but the end product is not consistent in his game.
Conte is not pressed to employ a system at Tottenham that makes use of wingers extensively and that could kill Bergwijn's game time. At 24, the Dutch forward knows his prime is yet to come and regular game time is the need of the hour for him.
#2 Dele Alli
Conte has spoken of how he would give Dele Alli the "possibility to show his talent" recently but it seems like a long shot from where he is to being a regular starter. The competition for Alli comes from the likes of Tanguy Ndombele and Giovanni Lo Celso, both capable of playing as advanced attacking midfielders and in a double-pivot.
Quite evidently, his on-field performances have been way below the standards that the attacking midfielder had set for himself a few years ago. Conte's training sessions are known to be very serious and intense drills and Alli has had some stick previously for not being sharp and up to his pace. In the Tottenham All or Nothing Documentary, Mourinho called Alli "lazy" in front of the Spurs squad.
Alli has made 263 appearances for Tottenham since making his debut in the 2014-15 season. He has scored 67 goals and registered 61 assists in that time. In 15 Premier League appearances last season, the English midfielder provided only one assist. It is really difficult to see Alli turning it around at Spurs under Conte.
#1 Ryan Sessegnon
Since being bought in from Fulham, Ryan Sessegnon has been a distant figure from the Tottenham senior side. Conte will look to generate funds and the easiest exit to sanction is that of the former Fulham man. Sessegnon can play anywhere on the left-flank, as a winger or a full-back. On the defensive front, however, he hardly brings enough substance for a Conte team.
He is currently out injured due to an injury he harbored while on duty with England U21. Much like Bergwijn, Sessegnon won't get into the frontline under Conte even if he shifts to a front-three.
One would think that even Bryan Gil should be a fringe player under the Italian, but since it was a signing approved by Fabio Paratici, he should remain at the club. The English player has made only 14 appearances for Tottenham since joining and the loan spell at Hoffenheim last season as highlights would not impress Conte.
At Inter, Conte attacked the opposition with his wingbacks but it is difficult to imagine the revival of Sessegnon's career at Tottenham. The Italian is looking for immediate success and it is likely Sessegnon has seemingly no future under him.
