A week is a long term in soccer. It's even longer if you're Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs lovers awoke on Monday with Nuno Espirito Santo at the verge of the sack, and could go to mattress this night safe in Antonio Conte's heat embody (you recognize, metaphorically).
After a crazy 3-2 win over Vitesse within the Europa Conference League on Thursday - which Conte admitted he hated because Spurs weren't in control - Tottenham travelled to Goodison Park to try to get a faltering Premier League campaign returned on target.
The true information is Spurs weren't terrible and for the maximum part regarded defensively solid in a 0-0 draw. The bad information is they failed to register a shot on target for the second successive league recreation - a brand new club document considering Opta commenced gathering date in 2003.
Well, you may't have it all.
Where Tottenham appeared clueless and passive beneath Nuno, they already look a ways extra engaged with Conte. No longer are the defenders hoofing the ball upfield aimlessly, no longer are they nervous and intimidated through each duel they get into. Those are respectable baby steps for a aspect that appeared hopeless best eight days in the past.
But there are sizable weaknesses that have been exposed in Conte's first matches. While Tottenham had respectable spells of possession at Goodison Park, they largely came of their very own 1/2 or in midfield, with Son Heung-min having to drop deep to try to (unsuccessfully) power on the Everton defence.
Conte has spoken earlier than approximately how he could hold Harry Kane in the direction of the penalty vicinity if he had manage of him, and you can see that concept coming thru, though that left him remoted and he contributed almost not anything to the game.
After 60 mins, Spurs - who fielded the identical beginning XI as they did on Thursday - appeared useless on their toes, with remnants of Jose Mourinho's failed generation glaringly apparent. You can recognize why Conte become eager to herald three of his very own health coaches.
Conte's 3-4-3 already looks quite well drilled off the ball, though you may see the kinks and faults on it. It didn't help that the likes of Lucas Moura and Giovani Lo Celso have been unable to finish the fundamentals of football, thoughts.
