Even though Tottenham took a 3-1 lead against Southampton in the second half of Saturday’s game, the two teams ultimately settled for a 3-3 draw. Just before halftime, Pedro Porro scored his first goal for the Spurs on a spectacular individual effort, but Che Adams quickly responded to draw the score even.
When Harry Kane gave the visitors the lead again with a well-placed header,a goal by Ivan Perisic seemed to have clinched all three points.Nevertheless, Southampton’s Theo Walcott scored nettedan equalizer for the home side, who eventually got the chance to convert a penalty kick in the dying minutes.
The team managed by Antonio Conte was furious with the call, but James Ward-Prowse scored the equalizer from the penalty spot to keep things even at St. Mary’s. At his postgame news conference, the Italian managerdelivered an explosive interview, making it clear that he was not thrilled with the team’s performance in the second half.
Watch: What didAntonio Conte afterSouthampton game?
After witnessing his Tottenham failures blow a two-goal lead, Antonio Conte ripped into his players verbally.They were labeled as selfish by the Italian boss,that the team’s morale had declined since the previous year, and that he would be wading into the issues surrounding the club’s blame culture.
“For me this is unacceptable. We are winning 3-1, in control and concede two goals.I think it’s better to go into the problem, we are not a team. We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart [into it]. This season compared to last, now we are worse in this aspect. When you are not a team you cannot improve.
“Tottenham’s story is this, 20 years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench. You risk disrupting the figure of the manager and to protect the other situation in every moment. Until now I try to hide the situation but now, no, because I repeat I don’t want to see what I have seen today.”
“Everyone has to take responsibility. Not only the club, the manager, and the staff. The players have to be involved in this situation because it is time to change this situation if Tottenham want to change. They can change the manager, a lot of managers, but the situation cannot change. Believe me,” Conte said in a press conference.
