Big names under pressure at Tottenham following Conte's arrival
Tottenham Hotspur unexpectedly fell to a 2-1 defeat to Mura in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night, and Antonio Conte was quick to revert to some of his favourite post-loss lines afterwards.
Bemoaning the quality of the players he has at his disposal is something he has done at every club he has coached in recent years, having demanded more transfer activity at Juventus, Chelsea and even Inter.
"At this moment the level [of quality] at Tottenham is not so high," Conte said. "I am happy to stay here but at the same time I must be honest and tell you we need to work a lot to improve the quality of the squad."
With that in mind, there are some Spurs players more vulnerable than others, and there could be some high-profile players on the market this January as a result.
Tottenham players with uncertain futures
Dele Alli is one of those, with the Englishman having had problems under Jose Mourinho previously and having never rediscovered his form. He started his first game under Conte in Slovenia but didn't manage an hour on the pitch, picking up a yellow card and offering little more.
Irish wing-back Matt Doherty is another yet to find his rhythm under the Italian, having been sidelined under former Wolves coach Nuno Espirito Santo as well, which came as a surprise to many.
Tanguy Ndombele and Davinson Sanchez are two other players who Conte will be demanding a lot more from.
Speaking on Sky Sports News, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara singled out Dele, Doherty, Ndombele and Sanchez as the main culprits for Spurs' defeat to Mura.
"These are a Slovenian top-flight side that I would expect a National League [English fifth division] side to give a game," said O'Hara.
"It has been a disgrace and some of the players - and I'll name them as well - Doherty, Ndombele, Dele Alli, Davinson Sanchez were absolutely shocking, some of them shouldn't wear a Spurs shirt again in my opinion."
The future of the above players is very much in their own hands. If they work and are willing to buy into what Conte is asking of them, they'll likely improve and succeed. If not, the door will be open for them to depart Tottenham in January.
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