Antonio Conte says it is impossible to achieve immediate success at Tottenham

Antonio Conte has claimed that Tottenham have been stuck in a rut for close to twenty years and there is no quick fix for the situation.

Speaking to the media ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League game against Everton (h/t The Athletic), Antonio Conte has sensationally claimed that no manager in the world can bring immediate success at the club. He also added that the Lilywhites have been stuck in a rut for the last two decades.

Conte took over the reins of Tottenham in November last year from Nuno Espirito Santo. While they began well under the tutelage of the Italian, things have unravelled for the club over the past few weeks. A run of disappointing results left the manager flummoxed, even leading to him questioning whether he was the right man for the job.

Things seemed to be back on track after a resounding win over Leeds United, but the shock defeat to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup in midweek has seemingly left Conte in a foul mood. Speaking ahead of the game against Everton, the former Chelsea and Inter Milan lamented his team’s inconsistent run, insisting that there is no quick fix for a problem that has been going on for twenty years.

“For sure, to have this up and down I don’t like,” Conte said. “I always said this from my first day when I arrived. Tottenham’s story is this, many ups and downs, but to be competitive, to try to win something, to try to fight for something important and become a strong team, the first thing that has to happen is to be stable and avoid these ups and downs.

“To do this and to change this type of situation that is happening for many, many years in Tottenham, it’s not simple. In a short time, it’s impossible to do this, not only for me but I think for any manager or coach to come in and change the story in one second. This story of this club for the last 20 years. Especially when this club for 20 years has this type of situation.”

Conte, who has had troubles with the boards at his previous clubs, could be set for more awkward conversations with club chairman Daniel Levy, who is unlikely to be pleased by the manager’s latest comments. The Italian had already publicly bemoaned Tottenham’s lack of intent in the January transfer window and has looked disillusioned in recent weeks, despite providing assurances over his commitment to helping the team achieve their targets.

Since Conte took over the reins, Tottenham have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Chelsea, while Middlesbrough booted them out of the FA Cup. The Lilywhites were also eliminated from the UEFA Europa Conference League. But they are still in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Heading into the clash against Everton, the north London side are five points behind fourth-placed Manchester United. However, Spurs have two games in hand over the Red Devils and need to make the most of the situation.