Conte makes thrilling acknowledgment about Tottenham tactics for this season and ‘nasty’ Richarlison
Antonio Conte likes ‘focused, nasty’ Richarlison and expects Tottenham to play with four strikers in many games this season.
The Brazilian joined Spurs from Everton this summer in a deal worth £50 million plus £10 million in potential add-ons, and he made his debut from the bench in the 2-2 draw at Chelsea on Sunday.
Richarlison’s drive and aggression on and off the ball helped turn the game at Stamford Bridge.
Conte is a big fan of the 25-year-old and has stated that he will play a lot of him this season because he will use four forwards at times, with Son Heung-min, Harry Kane, and Dejan Kulusevski all on the pitch with Richarlison for a spell at Chelsea in a 4-2-4 formation.
“For sure Richy is a player that made us focused, nasty. He’s a player I like. He’s always into the training session with his mind. For us I think this is a good sign,” said Conte.
“We are working also on the tactical aspect because the season will be long and there are many games that we have to play also with four strikers.
“In the end at Chelsea, we played with Lucas Moura as wing-back, Perisic – we are talking about in the past a striker, Richarlison, Kulusevski, Sonny, but to do this, it’s important to have organisation in the tactical aspect.
“The problem could be for the others (the opposition) when you have the ball, but without the ball also we must not lose the balance. The second goal we conceded against Chelsea, I think that we lost a bit of balance.
“We have to try to improve because for me to play with four strikers can become a good option during the game and to start some games. The most important thing is that the four strikers want to run and to make sacrifices without the ball.
“This is very important, but I have players with good stamina, with good quality and we are working also on this aspect.”
Following a disagreement over their handshake after the final whistle at Chelsea, Conte and his Blues counterpart Thomas Tuchel were both shown straight red cards.
In the days that followed, both head coaches were given FA charges.
When questioned whether he had spoken to Tuchel since and whether he planned to, Conte said: “No, no. Honestly, I think that both of us, for me, possibly for him, for me I am focused on the game against Wolverhampton.
” For me, no problem. It can happen, this type of situation. It is normal. I think I stay in football for 14 years and for me, it can happen this type of situation.”
Conte did not believe the final whistle incident, in which no arms were raised, warranted an FA charge.
“Maybe someone wants to try to create a massive problem or a massive clash with me and him and instead for the FA the charge was soft because it was soft, the situation,” he said. “Only to underline this because I have seen that someone tried to create a big clash between me and him and it wasn’t a big clash. A big clash is a big fight.”
Conte makes thrilling acknowledgment about Tottenham tactics for this season and ‘nasty’ Richarlison
