Everton manager Sean Dyche was surprised when he heard Antonio Conte’s rant about his Tottenham players and the entire culture and direction of the club.
In an astonishing 10-minute rant after Spurs drew 3-3 with Southampton before the international break, Conte branded his players 'selfish', said that they only play 'for themselves', and suggested that there was a culture of underachievement at the club.
The Italian also pointed the finger at Daniel Levy, mentioning the lack of success under ENIC over the last 20 years. After the tirade, speculation was rife that Conte was set to be sacked, and sure enough, last Sunday the former Inter Milan and Chelsea boss left the North London club.
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Cristian Stellini, Conte's assistant, has been placed in control of the team until the end of the season, with his first game in charge coming against Everton at Goodison Park on Monday night.
“Like most people, I was surprised by what Conte said because he is a well-travelled, established, top manager,” Dyche replied when asked about the rant.
“There must have been a reason behind it - or maybe there wasn’t. Football is a very emotional sport and he might have just allowed himself to explode.
“I wondered where it came from. Was it planned or was it something that just happened in the moment?
“Maybe he thought 'right, that’s it, it’s all coming out.' Do you remember the Kevin Keegan one? Sometimes this game just hits you and you think 'I’m going to say exactly how I see i'.”
Before he added: “It is such a tough one to imagine the internal discussions at that moment. You know yourselves you have heard so many different views about it.
“I have had people say to me that on one hand it is strange a manager would say [what he did], but on the other, refreshing a manager would say that. There have been many varying views.
"I have just taken the view that a well thought of manager, who has affected so many clubs, there must have been some reason, unless it was just a moment in time and he thought right that’s it.
“We are all tempted sometimes to say what is on our mind, but mostly we can’t or we don’t wish to. Maybe it was just a moment when he thought right, that's it.”
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