Antonio Conte admits he speaks a lot to Cristian Romero as he continues to help the Tottenham defender refine and improve his game.
Conte confirmed on Thursday that the 24-year-old Argentine is currently out with an adductor muscle injury suffered towards the end of the 2-2 draw at Chelsea last weekend. The centre-back also made headlines in the aftermath of the game after the referee Anthony Taylor missed Romero yanking the hair of Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella in the moments before Harry Kane's 96th minute equaliser.
VAR referee Mike Dean did not deem it to be a violent act within the rules but has since admitted that he should have told Taylor to look at the incident himself on his pitchside monitor in order to make his own mind up.
READ MORE: Every word Antonio Conte said on Cristian Romero, FA charge, Destiny Udogie, Spence and Skipp
Conte told football.london out in Israel last month that he believed Romero, who can play on the edge, needed to have "a hot heart and a cold mind" if the former Serie A Defender of the Year was to take the next step in his career. However, the Italian has also previously called upon his Tottenham players to be that little bit nastier in order to 'kill in a sporting way' the opposition and he was asked this week whether he liked what he saw from Romero at Stamford Bridge.
"About Cristian, I speak a lot with him. For sure, he's a player who's really strong physically," said the Spurs boss. "He has no fear of anyone but for sure he has to be always really focused to understand the situation, to try to always be better, to improve the situations he needs to improve, but I speak a lot with him, I speak a lot with my players about being strong - but always in a good way."
Conte does want his players to be his embodiment on the pitch though, becoming tougher, aggressive and that little bit nastier and willing to do anything within the rules to get the result. He can see that change happening gradually but he wants to form a squad of constantly hungry winners with a nasty edge.
The Tottenham boss wants his players to understand that winning is the only way and while some draws, like the last-gasp one at Stamford Bridge, might feel like a victory, they are not.
"This is a step that I continue to ask of my players. For sure, we did a little step forward but we need to continue to complete this step," he said. "Because to be nasty is very important. Very important. It means that you need to feel the blood of your opponent and try in a sporting way to kill your opponent.
"You have to understand, when you go to play a game, you can draw also, but at the same time you have to understand if the draw is a success for you or if the draw is [like] a loss. If you want to have ambition, I think you have to think only to get three points and the draw is half a loss for me.
"I'm trying to transfer my idea, this feeling. It's important. If you want to be competitive, to have ambition to fight for something important you have to improve in many aspects. Also your character has to be strong and you have to understand very well the difference between a win, a draw and a loss. It's totally different.
"The win makes you happy, the feeling is good, the confidence goes up. When you lose, for you should have the opposite situation."
READ NEXT:
What happened after Conte and Tuchel flashpoint and why the Tottenham boss should not be banned
- Tottenham news and transfers LIVE: All the latest updates and rumours from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- Full Tottenham Premier League fixture list for 2022/23
Djed Spence explains what Antonio Conte told him he wants from him and helpful Ivan Perisic chat
Paratici's Garner interest, Hojbjerg's intense Romero talk and Perisic instructing Sessegnon
