Postecoglou & Lange (& Paratici) Watch

Fitting choice of handle...

 

https://www.not606.com/threads/paul-scholes.104725/
What I wouldn't give for him in that midfield now

 

Matt Law of the Telegraph apparently wrote a really good piece analysing the first year under Paratici.

I refuse on principle to pay subscription fees to gain access to media, so I'd be grateful if someone who isn't as stubborn as me could copy and paste the text to this thread. Tia.

 

Bit of scrolling involved:
https://12ft.io/proxy?q=http://www....ici-helped-spark-tottenham#Echobox=1660133186

 

Try putting the url thru archive.today or similar
(it may at the very least capture the text part) .

 

Somebody on r/coys bit the bullet

Antonio Conte, head coach of Tottenham Hotspur and Fabio Paratici, managing director, football - From smart suits to a better bus — how Fabio Paratici helped spark a Tottenham revolution

It will not be hard to spot the Tottenham team bus when it pulls into Stamford Bridge for Sunday’s London derby against Chelsea. Emblazoned with the club’s crest and "Tottenham Hotspur" in giant letters, the coach is anything but subtle. And once it has pulled up, out will spill Antonio Conte and managing director of football Fabio Paratici, both dressed in sharp club suits.

The bus and suits were both introduced by Paratici last summer and represent a gradual change of culture at Spurs since his appointment. Having worked at one of Europe’s biggest clubs, Juventus, Paratici told Tottenham that branding the bus would help to change perceptions of a club that has so often been accused of trying to cut corners.

Matchday suits were also introduced, with the message very much that Tottenham mean business when they arrive for games. Paratici did not want Spurs simply talking of being a big club, he was adamant that they must act like one too.

For more than a decade, Chelsea have been able to look down at Tottenham but Spurs not only now have a stadium that is the envy of their London rivals but a head coach, squad and momentum that they must be wary of.

In Paratici, Tottenham also have something the new Chelsea ownership are looking for: an experienced operator in charge of the football operation who can deliver what the head coach wants while also working on some of the finer, non-playing details.

It is, of course, Conte, and not a snazzy bus, who must take most of the credit for drastically altering the direction of Tottenham’s travel, having pulled the club up from ninth place into the top four and demanding the very best of everybody around him.

Paratici's role in Tottenham transfers

Some sources are adamant that Paratici would no longer be at Tottenham were it not for the appointment of Conte last November, but some of the 50-year-old's most important work was done before the former Chelsea coach arrived.

Spurs would simply not have been in a position to tempt Conte back to the Premier League, having already failed with one approach, had Harry Kane joined Manchester City last summer.

Paratici told Kane that City’s only bid of £85million, plus £15m in add-ons, was not one that demonstrated a realistic desire to sign him. He explained that while Pep Guardiola may have wanted him, the club must have been less certain and that was borne out by the fact their attentions turned to Erling Haaland 12 months later.

Those involved in talks about Kane’s future describe Paratici’s impact as “phenomenal” and with Haaland now at City the smart money is very much on the England captain eventually signing a new Tottenham contract.

Of course, there were also significant mistakes made by Paratici after starting his job on July 1 last year during a chaotic managerial hunt that ended with him appointing Nuno Espirito Santo, who was completely unsuited to the post.

He also signed some players who either needed time and Conte’s coaching to adapt to English football or could simply not make the transition. There was, however, a spectacular success in the form of defender Cristian Romero, who, for £41m following an initial loan, immediately demonstrated that he would be a bargain.

Romero was known to Paratici from their time at Juventus, as were January additions Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur. This particular correspondent was not the only person to question the wisdom of signing two players who had spent considerable time on the Italian club’s bench, but their influence, under the guidance of Conte, has been transformative.

Kulusevski, who scored and assisted last weekend, will cost £29.2million by the time Spurs sign him permanently and, on his current trajectory, the Swede will already be worth more than twice that fee. The £15.8million Tottenham initially paid Juve, who needed money to cover the £63 million they spent on Dusan Vlahovic, also looks like a relative pittance in Premier League terms. Passion in the boardroom, and the dug-outs

Other than branding the bus and insisting that suits are worn on match days, Paratici made another subtle change behind the scenes last summer, promoting Allan Dixon, the brother-in-law of Levy. Dixon was a popular player liaison officer and, recognising the link he can provide, Paratici made him "team manager" to act as a conduit between the dressing-room, particularly the English players, and the head coach. On match days he operates from the dug-out. Watch out for the Brad Friedel lookalike near Conte at Stamford Bridge.

A confrontational and fiery figure, Paratici commands respect but will not always win popularity contests inside Tottenham, where doctors can be told how to do their jobs and chefs can receive criticism over the standard of food.

He is ruthless in his pursuit of the best and is said to be tactically astute, which is why Paratici was not too proud to recommend the sacking of Nuno after just four months in charge following a defeat to Manchester United which particularly infuriated him.

Just as he did over Nuno’s future, Paratici will forcefully voice his opinion in the boardroom and has been known to shout and offer his resignation in protest against decisions he felt were going against him.

That Latin spirit has also been felt by opponents. Chelsea staff were unhappy with the way Paratici behaved from behind the dug-outs during their visit to Tottenham last September and during a pre-season friendly against Roma, Jose Mourinho, of all people, had to act as a peacekeeper after Paratici had become involved in a slanging match with one of his staff.

Conte's right-hand man

A fighter himself, Conte no doubt appreciates having somebody firmly in his corner and Spurs can no longer face accusations of being a soft touch - something Paratici had been acutely aware of while at Juventus. It was Giorgio Chiellini who said “It’s the history of Tottenham” after the Italian club knocked them out of the Champions League in 2018.

Paratici fought from the start of his tenure for more staff in each department and Spurs this summer appointed Gretar Steinsson to work alongside Paratici as performance director with Andy Scoulding arriving as assistant. There was also an addition made to the coaching department, with Conte able to hire Gianni Vio as the club’s first-ever set-piece specialist.

Perhaps most importantly, Paratici has helped convince Levy to review Tottenham’s transfer policy this summer. The biggest change has been that Spurs spent early and did so before they had sold. They also spent heavily on Richarlison, a forward who is far from certain of starting and, barring an injury to Kulusevski, Kane or Heung-Min Son, will be on the substitutes’ bench on Sunday.

Conte’s bench was embarrassingly thin when Tottenham visited Stamford Bridge twice inside three weeks last season, but this weekend Richarlison will step on to a substitutes’ rosta that included Ivan Perisic, Clement Lenglet, Yves Bissouma and Lucas Moura in the opening-day victory over Southampton.

His first 12 months or so at Spurs have not been without their bumps, but Paratici can be pleased with the way he has helped set the wheels on the club’s branded bus in motion.​

 

please log in to view this image

 

Another new member of Don Fabio’s new look team.

 

Good news. More expertise and experience in a critical role.

 

please log in to view this image

I think this is automatic following the red cards.

 

I hope I am not being partisan, but I thought only Tuchel was out of order at the end. Anyone will react if someone won't let go of your hand after a handshake. I don't see what Conte did there.

 

Looked like Tuchel was trying to crush Conte’s hand

 

There is no way that a neutral would conclude that their contribution to the fracas was equal. Clearly Tuchel instigated most of the problems, though Conte clearly joined in and should be censured, but certainly not to the same degree. This will of course be ignored by the disciplinary committee, so expect very similar punishment, although Tuchel will get extra for comments about the ref. All's fair in love and war, but not in football.

 

New film emerges that suggests Conte may have been more aggressive than I noticed

 

Somebody managed to make 4cm look like 1ft

please log in to view this image

 

This only serves to further beg the question of why the hell we concede so many from set pieces.

 

Seriously, can we retire the "blood on their hands" comment about ****ing transfers?

 

Given that the answer appears to be "we don't" *** , the question does not arise :

https://www.not606.com/threads/squad-performance-watch-2022-23.400925

Attack

-- scored = 3 (40)
--- headed = 0 (8)

--- free kick = 0 (3)
---- direct = 0 (1)
---- indirect = 0 (2)

-- corner kick
--- total = 10 (193)
--- scored = 1 (4)


*** at least, not last season.