Despite struggling to find much fluency in their attacking play so far this season, Antonio Conte’s Tottenham side sit third in the EPL table and level on points with title favourites Manchester City.
This reflects the steel and drive that Conte has instilled into a notoriously irresolute side, with Spurs now perfectly capable of grinding out ugly results both home and away.
This was in evidence at the Amex Stadium recently, when Spurs edged a narrow, 1-0 win against high-flying Brighton despite ceding large amounts of territory and possession to their rivals.
The question that remains, of course, is how far can Spurs progress under Conte’s defence-oriented tactics, and could they possible sustain a title challenge?
Conte’s Tactics Explained
Conte is synonymous with the use of wing-backs and the classic 3-4-3 formation, although he occasionally adjusts to a 3-5-2 shape to incorporate an additional central midfielder.
At the same time, Conte is largely preoccupied with creating a tight and compact defensive shape, while operating a low-to-medium block that generally allows the opposition to retain the ball in the defensive third of the pitch.
So, rather than pressing high up the pitch, they’ll often allow the opposition to funnel the ball into midfield, before looking for key triggers to counter-press and launch counterattacks in behind the opponent’s backline.
In possession, Conte likes to build from the back (particularly against defence-oriented sides), using Eric Dier’s impressive range of passing to progress through the lines. Conte also likes to deploy Ben Davies as a left-siding, overlapping centre back, who will carry the ball forward with a view to committing opposition players and creating space for others.
During counterattacks, Spurs rely heavily on the quality and combination play of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, with the former often dropping deep to create a link between the midfield and attack and the latter looking to penetrate with runs in-behind.
Do Spurs Need to Evolve to Win a Premier League Title?
While history has seen a number of counterattacking teams achieve significant success (think of Leicester City in 2015/16, for example), this is increasingly difficult in an age where most sides look to press high, dominate possession and sustain attacks throughout the game.
Spurs can also find it hard to break down deep-lying and defence-minded sides, while their tactics are heavily reliant on the consistent output and availability of Kane and Son.
So, although Conte’s Spurs are often able to achieve impressive one-off results against sides such as Liverpool and Manchester City, they may struggle to earn enough points through a season to win a coveted EPL title.
Even when they do claim an impressive result against a top-six rival (such as the 2-2 draw with Chelsea earlier this season), they’re often required to ride their luck and be clinical in attack while hoping that their rivals are profligate in front of goal.
The Last Word
For poker fans who bet with GGpoker, you’ll know that strategy and tactics go along way to achieving sustainable success over time.
The same is true for any aspiring Premier League side, and there’s no doubt that Antonio Conte is one of the best and most tactically astute managers in the competition.
However, while Conte’s sides are more dynamic and attack-minded than some suggest, they remain largely defence-oriented and arguably don’t score enough goals to sustain a genuine title challenge.
So, the Italian may need to evolve tactically or at least add reinforcements in the winter window if Spurs are to advance to the next level (and keep pace with Manchester City and North London rivals Arsenal this season).
