Antonio Conte says his recent outburst was a ‘strategy’ rather than emotional as he looked to turn around Tottenham’s indifferent form.
Conte was critical of himself and his players following Spurs’ 1-0 defeat at Burnley on February 23, a result which extended the north London side’s run to four defeats from five Premier League fixtures.
Conte’s comments had suggested he could look to leave Spurs should results not improve, but the Italian has since dismissed that notion and says his controversial outburst was a tactic to turn around his side’s performances.
Spurs bounced back from the loss at Burnley with a 4-0 win at Leeds on Saturday and are five points outside the Champions League places with two games in hand on fourth-placed Manchester United.
“I think that you have to understand when there is a strategy or not and not only an emotional moment,” he said at a pre-match press conference ahead of Spurs’ FA Cup fifth round tie at Middlesbrough.
“Maybe I can explain to you, every time we have a press conference there is a strategy behind it, not an emotional moment.
“I understood that was the right moment, after four defeats in five games and following the win against Manchester City three days ago, to send the right message, a clear message to myself, the club and also the players.
“We have to know we are here to enjoy football, at the same time to improve ourselves, to ask ourselves for 100 per cent commitment and desire and also to underline that a team like Tottenham does not exist to lose four games in five.
“If someone understood that my words were from an emotional moment, no.
“In that moment I sent a specific message to the whole environment and it has happened in the past, when I want to push the situation and the environment in the same direction, because I am seeing we can do better, it is not because it is an emotional moment, it is because there is a strategy behind.”
