Published: 20:42, 6 November 2022 | Updated: 01:50, 7 November 2022
Antonio Conte was upset to hear Tottenham booed off by their own supporters and issued a veiled threat, hinting he will not stick around if there is no ‘enthusiasm’ and ‘passion’ for him to feed off.
‘We have to show in every moment great respect for our fans,’ said Conte. ‘They are our fans. They pay for the tickets. At the same time, if you ask me if I was a bit disappointed, yes… because it’s important in every moment to be honest.’
Spurs were loudly booed down the tunnel at half-time, trailing 2-0 against Liverpool having conceded the first goal for the sixth successive game. Harry Kane reduced the deficit in the 70th minute but they could not find an equaliser.
Antonio Conte asked Spurs fans for patience as they slumped to defeat at home by Liverpool
‘I continue to repeat the same thing,’ Conte added. ‘We have just started a process. After one year, we have made lot of improvement. If someone thinks we are already ready to win I have to be honest and tell you it will be really, really difficult.
‘I can’t promise at this moment to win trophies. At this moment, we are far from it. I continue to ask for time and patience. I have the experience to tell you we are far from other teams that are used to winning and have a squad strong to win.
‘If we understand this together, it will be good. Everybody wants to win. I am the first who wants to win. If everybody has time and patience it’s OK, otherwise we continue this season and we see at the end what happens at the end.’
The visitors raced into a two-goal lead thanks a brace from talisman Mohamed Salah
Spurs fans were left frustrated during their side’s loss against Liverpool in north London
Conte added: ‘For me, the passion and enthusiasm is my fuel. I need to have this. It’s very, very important for me.’
Tottenham have taken only three points from their last four Premier League games. Three costly defeats against Manchester United, Newcastle and Liverpool, teams competing with them for the European places. The one they won was a last-gasp salvage job after fighting back from two down at Bournemouth.
The form slump leaves them eight points adrift of leaders Arsenal, having played an extra game.
The club now sits eight points adrift of rivals Arsenal despite having played an extra game
‘If you really want to be fighting at the top of the league, you have to make sure you find them big moments and come out on top in this sort of games, and we haven’t done that,’ said Kane.
‘We pushed them to the end and I feel like we deserved a second goal. Unfortunately, the damage was done in the first half.
‘In big games and key moments, we’ve made too many mistakes this season against the bigger teams and been punished and that was the case today. We need to reduce those errors especially against the best teams.
‘We’ve got to be disappointed because lost the game and we weren’t good enough. To be down at half time has happened too often this season and we’re having to chase the game second half.’
Dejan Kulusevski returned from a hamstring injury in the second half and set up Kane’s goal within seconds. Son Heung-min, who is out of hospital after surgery on a cheekbone fracture near his eye.
He is unlikely to play for Spurs before the World Cup but Conte said: ‘I am confident, confident that he can come back quickly and play the World Cup for South Korea.’
