Antonio Conte laments Tottenham 3-2 defeat against Manchester United as they didn’t deserve to lose but maintains they also need to improve.
Antonio Conte says the loss at Old Trafford is ‘difficult to explain’ as Tottenham were being punished for their sloppy display.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Conte said: ‘It is very difficult to explain this loss because I think after a good performance like this in a difficult stadium and a difficult atmosphere against a strong team like United; you deserve much more.
“This team has to continue to improve in many aspects. I think on the pitch the improvements are very clear because the team played in my opinion really good football and created chances to score.”
“I think we need to show more experience, to manage some situations, because the game is, when you play a game, there are many games inside the game.
Don’t forget that in the last five games we scored three goals at Manchester City away, four goals away at Leeds, five goals against Everton, two goals here against United away.”
“It means that the team is producing, is improving, and creating chances and scoring a lot of goals. But at the same time we have to try to improve in experience and to manage the game. Because during the game there are many parts of the game. There are moments where you feel you have to push and to push, and to go strong, to win.”
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte said his side need to get better at defending set-pieces and admitted that even without Cristiano Ronaldo they may still have struggled against Man Utd . (image: Getty)
” And I think sometimes you have to understand when to push, when to increase the intensity, and when is the moment to be calm and not hurry.”
‘I think in this aspect we have a lot of space for improvement. You don’t buy experience, you improve your experience after these types of games. We have many young players in the team and hopefully after this game they have the possibility to learn.’
Ronaldo’s hat-trick meant he became the leading goalscorer in FIFA history and Conte was full of praise for the forward while saying United wouldn’t have had a ‘good night’ without the Portugal international.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brilliant hat-trick to inspire Man Utd to a vital 3-2 win against Tottenham in the Premier League at Old Trafford.(image: Getty)
‘We are talking about a player, not only tonight, has showed to be a top top player. Don’t forget that Cristiano and Messi are the two best players in the world in this era,’ Conte said.
‘Before it was Maradona and Pele but this era it is Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. You have to know that when you play against this type of player, they are decisive. I think honestly, without Ronaldo, for United it wasn’t a good night.’
The loss against United demotes Tottenham to seventh on the log, five points behind Ralf Rangnick’s men and three behind Arsenal, having played two more games than their north London rivals.