Angry Antonio
Antonio Conte's press conference demeanour after the defeat in Lisbon betrayed his anger at his team's performance and that late collapse.
The Italian was calm when speaking to the media and pointed out that he believed a draw would have been a fair result and that perhaps his Spurs team had been reminded about the high level required in the Champions League. Behind the scenes though he was seething and that was clear to those who saw him in the corridors of the Estádio José Alvalade after the final whistle.
Dejan Kulusevski admitted as he walked through the mixed zone in the aftermath of the game that he had not seen Conte in the dressing room after the final whistle. It's a tactic the former Inter and Chelsea boss uses - as do many other managers - in letting the players stew after a poor display.
READ MORE: Hugo Lloris praises Marcus Edwards and explains what Spurs players will have learned from defeat
They knew they had come up short at both ends of the pitch and instead the inquest would have been held on Wednesday at the training ground. The players flew straight home after the game on a near silent flight as the defeat sunk in and they all stayed overnight at The Lodge, the hotel within Hotspur Way before starting training at 11am on Wednesday.
Many of the players would have feared a far earlier start following Conte's anger. He is a man who likes to leave them guessing about training times, days off and even pre-season returns to keep them on their toes.
However, that training did not begin until 11am suggests he had calmed down although the problems would have been spelt out clearly in a meeting and on the training pitches. It was only Tottenham's first defeat of the season, but the manner of it would have frustrated Conte and everyone involved.
It was a game that was there to be won but Spurs somehow let it slip through their fingers and turned it into a defeat to a team with talented players but one that currently lies seventh in the early Portuguese league table.
For Conte it was also another defeat for a Champions League record that does not befit such a trophy-laden manager and for Tottenham their appalling recent away European record continues.
Spurs' Sporting loss added to their defeat on the road last season in the Europa Conference League against NS Mura, and under Nuno Espirito Santo the losses at Vitesse and Pacos de Ferreira, as well as the draw at Rennes.
In the previous season in the Europa League under Jose Mourinho, Tottenham lost at Royal Antwerp as well as falling to that crushing 3-0 loss at Dinamo Zagreb despite holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg.
For Conte, his Champions League record is poor for a coach of his stature. He has won just eight of his past 28 matches in the competition. In more recent times, he has been victorious in only four of the past 17 games he's overseen in the Champions League.
Some have questioned whether he focuses too much on winning domestic leagues, others have suggested that his demands and preparation are more suited to games once a week although that does not explain how Inter won Serie A and reached the Europa League final in his second season there.
Whatever the reason, a five-time league-winning manager in Conte seems to be unable to progress as a coach in a competition he won as a player. The furthest he has got as a manager is the quarter-finals once, back in 2013 with Juventus where they lost 4-0 on aggregate to Bayern Munich.
That would have added to his frustration on Tuesday night and it's noticeable that in a team with plenty of Champions League experience, it was only his veteran players Hugo Lloris and Ivan Perisic - 35 and 33 respectively - who came out of the game with any credit.
After the final whistle, Conte told football.london: "I think the game in the first half was in balance between the two teams. Honestly in the second half we felt the opportunity to get the three points and win the game. We had the chances to score but in the end we are talking about a loss.
"For sure we can do much better in those last few minutes. We conceded a counter attack with a one vs one. It was the player who shot and Hugo made a really good save, maybe the most difficult save of the game. After this, the corner we conceded a goal. I always say to my players that the details move the final result. I think that maybe we didn't deserve to win but at the same time we didn't deserve to lose this game tonight.
"We try to analyse the game very well with the players to understand what were the positive things that we did and what are the negative situations that we can improve for the future.
"For sure this level is a high level, the Champions League. Against Marseille was another tough game. Tonight was another tough game. We need to know that if we want to have the ambition to go to the next round we have to fight, we have to fight a lot, especially in this group because in this group I see a lot of balance between the teams."
It's the first defeat of the season but Conte will know the problems have been underlying in recent performances despite the results and they must be fixed.
The Dejan Kulusevski issue
Conte has been lauding his options in the attacking slots in recent weeks with four top players all competing for three positions but it's difficult to understand why the most in-form of them all has been the one stuck on the bench.
It's quite simple. Tottenham look better going forward when they have Dejan Kulusevski on the pitch. The Swede brings that little bit of magic and he links their play together with the ability to drive up the pitch, past defenders and also pick out his team-mates with quick, incisive passes and curling pinpoint crosses.
Kulusevski told football.london during pre-season that he prefers to be a number 10 but admits his best results have come on the right. At a time when fans are calling for Conte to utilise a creative midfielder in his system, he already has one right there in the Sweden international.
The 22-year-old has racked up 16 goal involvements in his first 24 Premier League matches - 10 assists and six goals - and that's not to mention his involvement in the earlier parts of moves that led to goals.
Yet Kulusevski has found himself on the bench for the past three matches despite impressing even when he's come off of it. On Tuesday night, he immediately drove Spurs on the pitch and earned a free-kick and his marker a yellow card before setting up Richarlison with a big chance.
Conte can talk about rotation but leaving Kulusevski on the bench for three straight games is not rotation, it's simply dropping a player, particularly when others have stuttered in his place.
For one reason or another Harry Kane and Son Heung-min have not yet clicked into gear this season. Kane is still providing the goals with five in his past five Premier League matches, but his ability to drop deep and set his two fellow forwards away is crucial to Conte's system at the moment.
Right now, he's struggling to link-up the play as well as he can. There has been the odd fine ball - two for Emerson Royal earlier in the second half could have brought assists - but his radar has been off when linking up with his fellow attackers.
Conte's desire to play with workers in the centre of the pitch rather than playmakers means that while the central duo are encouraged to contribute further up the pitch, the onus is mainly on the front three and the wing-backs to create.
For Son, his wait for his first goal of the season continues and for all of Conte's bluster about not being concerned about rotating anyone in his side after a question about the South Korean's form, that rest from the starting line-up is yet to arrive. Son's confidence looks low and perhaps that's something Conte is taking into account, concerned with lowering it further by benching him.
Richarlison has impressed Conte and his team-mates and he is a hard worker on the pitch from the first minute until the last and that is something that resonates with the Spurs head coach.
However, while the Brazilian is skilful and direct, he is less of a creator with an eye for a pass or cross than Kulusevski or Kane.
Although it's still early days, it might be worth keeping an eye on whether the trio of Son, Kane and Richarlison provides the best blend for big matches or whether Son and Richarlison are too similar in their styles to provide the variety the system requires, which is where Kulusevski comes in.
The fixture schedule goes into overdrive once the international break ends as the Premier League, Champions League and the Carabao Cup matches all need to be fitted in with three games a week.
The rotation will have to happen then and Saturday's game against Leicester could provide Conte with his first opportunity to start giving others a chance to impress him and send out a fair message to everyone in the squad - front to back - that you need to earn your place with your current displays not just your ability.
The Marcus Edwards clause
There was something paradoxically pleasing but sad about seeing Marcus Edwards impress on the big stage in the Champions League.
The 23-year-old former Tottenham man was a thorn in his old club's side on Tuesday night, carrying on from his goal and assist in the previous match against Frankfurt. One magical run in the first half showcased everything Spurs had hoped they would end up getting from their player themselves back when he was a teenager and coming through the academy.
It was only Lloris' reaction save that stopped what would have been one of the best goals in the competition this season.
It's great to see Edwards making so much more of his remarkable talent, even if it's disappointing to see it happen away from Spurs.
Edwards' time at Tottenham is well known. He was one of the brightest young talents in the game. He has that touch of magic, a natural talent that you just can't coach into a player. Dribbling past opponents is second nature for him with his low centre of gravity and that's allied with an eye for goal and a pass, wonderful technique and the ability to take a mean set piece.
Mauricio Pochettino infamously compared the then teenager to having the traits of a young Lionel Messi, words that brought a pained look from his Spurs press officer and the Argentine immediately added a further comparison to Erik Lamela, but the word 'Messi' had already left his mouth.
There was a real belief inside Tottenham's academy that they had a superstar in the making in Edwards. He had been with the club since the age of six and quickly became a rising talent through the age groups. Before Pochettino's comparison, some of the senior coaching staff had already dubbed him 'Mini Messi' after inviting him to join in first team sessions.
It all led to Edwards' Spurs debut as a 17-year-old - a bright 10-minute cameo at White Hart Lane in the League Cup against Gillingham in 2016, which showcased his trademark dribbling and one confident rocket of a shot over the crossbar.
Edwards however struggled to turn his undoubted potential into something else at Tottenham. Injury played its part, an ankle problem kept him out just when Pochettino was starting to get really excited about his prospects as did an operation to remove his tonsils.
However, there were some concerns behind the scenes during this period about his focus and behaviour as he remained in the development squad.
Some club staff would joke that it was a celebratory moment in academy games when Edwards would eventually pass to a younger team-mate on the pitch rather than keeping the ball or moving it on to fellow older players in the group. Getting him to track back and defend was a constant battle for his academy coaches.
Pochettino then wrote in his book 'Brave New World' about Edwards, making a mistake with that Messi comparison and mentioned "behavioural problems". There were also a long saga over trying to get Edwards to sign his first professional deal with the club which upset those behind the scenes at Tottenham.
Edwards would later admit in an interview with the Independent that "I know I was a bit difficult when I was going through the academy."
A loan move to Norwich did not go as planned. Edwards arrived with a back injury which limited his training and Norwich eventually cut the loan short for 'personal reasons', while his time-keeping came under fire from those inside the Canaries set-up.
Eventually it was a loan move to Dutch side Excelsior Rotterdam that after a couple of months of adapting really helped Edwards push on and mature on and off the pitch away from the spotlight and comforts of the UK as his new team-mates really took to him.
Edwards returned and after training with Brentford without a move being agreed, he made the permanent move to Portugal and Vitoria with a 50% sell-on clause for Spurs should he move on.
He impressed there and Sporting and a higher level came calling. football.london understands that rather than cashing in at that point, the 50% sell-on clause moved across with Edwards which could benefit them to a big extent as his star rises, particularly with a £52m release clause. However it's also worth nothing that as part of that deal with Sporting, Vitoria announced in February that they would get 10 per cent of any future gain Tottenham received after having "also waived compensation under the so-called solidarity mechanism".
As well as those Champions League performances, Edwards has two goals and two assists in his first six league games of the Portuguese season.
His Sporting boss Ruben Amorim has high hopes for him, even if he did admit he still needs to knuckle down more in training.
"I think Marcus is a very talented player. He’s one of the best players for playing between the lines," he said. "He took a little while to adapt to the Portuguese lifestyle. We are a very young group. All this had an impact on the development of the player.
"He has so much talent. He can get much better. He can even get to the English national team. He has to focus more on training and all that is around it. Football is not just matches, it’s everything in between. I trust him a lot. I know he can grow a lot. He has a long way to go but I think he did excellent business in signing him."
After the win and his performance, Edwards told the media: "It feels great, winning at the end like that after a hard shift. I could not be happier. We deserved that. We showed how we can play.
"It wouldn't say it was extra special but it was a strange feeling playing against Spurs. I was there for so long but it was good to people I know, coaching staff and some players.
"It doesn't change. I prepare the same and focus like every other game. It is a proper family environment we have here so I could not be happier."
On coming to the Premier League one day, he declared: "Yeah of course. It is my home so of course I will be back there one day"
On Amorim's England call-up talk, he added: "I wouldn't say it has crossed my mind. I just focus on what I am doing here so I don't think about that but of course [it would be nice]."
Eric Dier, who keeps a close eye on his old club Sporting, told football.london that he had been impressed with the young player's development.
"I remember him well. He trained with us for a few years at Tottenham. I think he is a very talented player," he said. "I think he's done extremely well since he arrived. It's very difficult to come to a new country and play in a different league.
"Obviously leaving the situation he was in at Tottenham to play regular football, to go to the team he went to and do so well and then Sporting buying him from there is something he can be very proud of."
He added: "[Whether he plays for England eventually], it depends on him. I think he is a very talented player, he is very strong and yes it would be great if he could make it to the national team. I mean If he keeps evolving like that, I think he could get to the national team."
Spurs will benefit one day from their sell-on clause but there will always be a nagging disappointment that Marcus Edwards did not become a star at his boyhood club...unless one day he does return.
Finding another gear
Tottenham have little time to lick their wounds and feel sorry for themselves - which is no bad thing - as they welcome bottom side Leicester City on Saturday evening.
The post-match press conference in Lisbon was quick as Spurs had their return flight to catch and was dominated understandably by the elated Portuguese press asking about Sporting and their performance.
On Thursday afternoon, Conte's afternoon press conference at Hotspur Way should provide more of an opportunity to quiz the Spurs boss on what comes next and get a better understanding of some of his recent decision.
His lack of substitutes has been a nagging and growing issue among some fans and despite the larger squad and the ability to use five substitutes, there still appears to be a distrust from the Italian in his options on the bench to change games.
The go-to move appears to always be the fourth attacker on the bench - Kulusevski for the past three matches. In Lucas Moura's injury-enforced absence though, Conte does not appear to trust his other options.
Bryan Gil is barely mentioned in passing by the coach, Yves Bissouma is still getting up to speed with the Conte way and Oliver Skipp is improving his sharpness with every passing week.
Then there are the wing-backs. Conte was set to bring both Matt Doherty and Ryan Sessegnon into the fray in the 88th minute. He shouted at them to finish their warm-up and both stood on the touchline ready to come on, the board prepared to be held aloft.
Then Paulinho headed home and the duo were sent back to the dugout. That plan was dropped and Kulusevski became the only substitution made by the visitors, despite their struggles in breaking through the Sporting defence.
Amorim clearly won the battle of the dugouts as well as on the pitch, because both of Sporting's goals came from fresh substitutes.
When it comes to the wing-backs, the same old problem exists on the right. There's no doubting Emerson Royal's endeavour, energy, his movement in getting into good positions and often his defending ability, or the fact that he clearly adores being at Tottenham Hotspur.
However, the problem remains that whatever his talents, Emerson is not a wing-back. When Spurs need to attack, many of their forays come to an unnatural end on that right-hand side of the pitch.
Seeing Perisic, who Conte believes is one of the world's best in the role, on the other side and his ability in the final third and decision-making only heightens the gulf in suitability for the wing-back role.
Emerson had a night to forget in Lisbon, despite getting himself into some great positions. He found himself in the box in the first half when a Perisic long throw fell his way but he was falling and couldn't quite prod it over the keeper.
Then early in the second half he saw a header and a volley saved by the keeper after Kane had sent balls into this path. He should have put at least one of his chances away and his delivery from the right was little better.
Ordinarily, Emerson's defensive ability is what he can be lauded for, but in those late minutes he was beaten in the air with Kane for Paulinho's header and then Gomes skipped past him with a nutmeg far too easily for the second goal.
Doherty appeared to be Conte's number one choice before his injury and the boss seemed to indicate as much during the summer but the Italian has been very cautious with the Irishman since his knee injury suffered last season. The Republic of Ireland international admitted out in Korea that at that point he was still feeling some pain in the knee, although that was normal at that stage of his recovery.
Then there is Djed Spence. On paper the 22-year-old ticks every box for a Conte wing-back and Spurs' managing director of football Fabio Paratici watched him a number of times and signed him for that exact reason.
Yet Conte has decided that it's too early for the England U21 international due to his lack of experience in top flight football and the head coach has made it very clear to anyone that will listen that he is a club signing rather than one he asked for, although he did admit he believes he could become a top player.
Spence can only work hard behind the scenes to catch Conte's eye. He impressed against Premier League opposition in the FA Cup repeatedly last season while on loan at Nottingham Forest so he will not be overawed by any opportunity handed to him.
He's the same age as Sessegnon and Skipp, two young players Conte trusts and has high hopes for. The head coach could be making a statement to the club about the signing and if that were the case then Spence just needs to take any chance and show the Italian that he can be what he needs.
His raw abilities are exactly what Conte wants from wing-backs and he just needs to now show that he can carry out the tasks of one of the most demanding roles in football.
Whether it's Doherty or Spence, Conte needs to start rotating on the right as he has with Perisic and Sessegnon on the left. Other than keeping Emerson fresh and getting the other two sharp, someone might surprise him.
Conte might just find that Spurs suddenly look dangerous on both sides of the pitch, shedding that predictable tag of everything coming down the left.
Conte football is not dull football. The amount of goals his Spurs side have scored in 2022 shows that. His system just needs to function properly with the right people in each position.
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