After embarking on a solid run of form late last season, Tottenham Hotspur managed to make the Top 4 under mid-season appointment, Antonio Conte.
The Italian was quite vocal during pressers about the various gaps in his squad, as he publicly placed the onus on the owners to bring him reinforcements. And for once, Daniel Levy and co. loosened their purse strings and did just that.
So far, the London outfit has bolstered its squad by bringing in Ivan Perisic, Yves Bissouma, Djed Spence and Richarlison among others, moves which have provided Spurs fans with optimism.
2022/23 marks the first full season for Conte at the helm, and as such, he wasted no time in introducing the players to his version of conditioning and fitness during pre-season.
Conte was seen running his players into the ground during Spurs’ trip to Seoul, a sight all too familiar for fans familiar with the Italian’s methods. Images of a knackered Harry Kane brought to mind similar ones displaying the state of Chelsea players after an equivalently intense session under Conte.
The drills are designed to maximize endurance, but during the moment, they’re obviously very arduous.
The brief respite players receive needs to be spent wisely in cooling down, and Spurs’ official Instagram provided fans with a look at what they get up to during these breaks.
In the post, members of the squad can be seen flying kites to cool off, a rather light-hearted remedy after an exhaustive session.
Nevertheless, Matt Doherty soon entered the scene, and stated his go-to activity to unwind, as he commented ‘Cry also’. The method may be grim, but perhaps equally effective.
Doherty’s comments underline just how brutal Conte’s sessions can be, as it really can’t get any worse than being reduced to tears.
Hopefully, all the work and effort will pay off in the end. And there’s no better reward than a piece of silverware, something which eluded the Lilywhites for years but seems like a real possibility under Conte.