Danny Murphy has slammed Antonio Conte for "struggling to improve" his Tottenham squad as the former Liverpool midfielder compared the Spurs coach to Eddie Howe at Newcastle United to claim that the Italian manager is making an "excuse" that he needs better players in order to compete.
Newcastle have the chance to pull eight points clear of Tottenham in fourth with a win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon. Spurs conceded four second-half goals as they threw away a two goal lead against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday night.
After the game, Conte bemoaned his side's performance and sent a warning message to those in his squad.
ALSO READ: Antonio Conte aims thinly-veiled swipe at Newcastle United as Tottenham lose to Man City
He said: “This is a medium, this is an average team that is fighting in the relegation zone. I repeat, this is a negative situation that I have to analyse."
And now Murphy has slammed the Tottenham manager for making excuses, as he looked to Newcastle's progress under Howe to blame the former Chelsea head coach for failing to improve his own players.
“A coach generally at a big club is dealing with egos and man management, more than he is actually coaching," Murphy told talkSPORT. "The coaching is still there but it’s easier when you’ve got brilliant players.
“You’ve then got coaches who improve players at a club where you don’t necessarily have the best players, but as a collective - like at Newcastle for example - they’re competing because of the coaching and togetherness, like [Mauricio] Pochettino did at Tottenham and made that team a unit.
“I think that Conte is used to managing top players at top clubs. He’s dropped down a level, if you like, in terms of the level of player - they haven't got the best players in the league - and he’s struggling to improve them.
“If we do a quick comparison of Newcastle [and Tottenham], in terms of budget and types of player. Newcastle are in the top four with the best defence in the league with a back four of Dan Burn, Kieran Trippier who Tottenham let go, [Fabian] Schar who was a laughing stock 18 months ago when Newcastle were all over the place and they spent about £40million on [Sven] Botman who has been available for two years because no one took a risk.
“They’ve got [Nick] Pope in goal who anyone could have had from Burnley at any point and Tottenham didn’t.
“A bit of cute recruitment and good coaching, he [Howe] has made them better, but they’re playing with a back four and he’s got them organised with players who are hungry and willing to learn and coached well on the training pitch, you can get results.
“Conte’s thing about needing better players and ‘we can’t compete yet’, that’s just an excuse for not being able to coach them and make them better.”
READ NEXT
'Significant' Newcastle recruit is 'loving' new Magpies role and talks Dan Ashworth support
Newcastle U18s pass character test but left 'devastated' by late St James' Park heartbreak
Meet the Newcastle signing who debunks London transfer myth after 'no-brainer' decision
'I back that idea' - Exciting Newcastle transfer stance clear as Howe echoes Ashworth promise
Newcastle wonderkid's moment of magic and Wilshere's delight as Arsenal beat Magpies - three things
