sport news 'Antonio Conte has changed everything': Eric Dier on how manager's passion play ... trends now
Eric Dier admits there have been moments this season when, in times gone by, the Tottenham dressing room would have felt like the beginning of the apocalypse.
The defeat at Burnley, for one, after which Antonio Conte threatened to walk away. Losing at Arsenal, that is always a killer. Beaten at home by Manchester United.
That is how it felt in the past. It did last season, says Dier, when they were top of the table in September but conceded a late equaliser against Crystal Palace and were beaten by Liverpool three days later to drop into second.
Tottenham's progression under Antonio Conte since November has been remarkable
‘It felt like the end of the world,’ says Dier. ‘At times, you have results and you look at the table and it looks so scary. You don’t realise you just need to find that emotional balance and consistency because things change.’
And how things have changed. Tottenham head into the final day knowing a point against relegated Norwich is all they need to secure Champions League football. How far away that felt when they lost at Turf Moor. ‘We learned from last season where those results felt like the end of the world,’ says Dier.
‘That’s something we’ve improved on. You are going to go through difficult moments but just keep at it, get through it and you can find yourselves in the position we are now.
The Italian has fostered a new-found mentality, which could finally dispel the old ‘Spursy’ tag
‘If you compare that Liverpool away game from last season where they scored late from a set-piece to win and the Liverpool away game this year [which Tottenham drew 1-1], it shows progression.’
That progression under Conte has been remarkable. They were ninth when he took over in November. Since then, only City and Liverpool have taken more points than Spurs. So just what has he changed?
‘Everything,’ says Dier. ‘From the moment he came in, he changed everything. There’s a different work ethic in the building. There’s a different discipline in the building. He has incredible experience. You feed off his personality, off his confidence in his work, off his beliefs in how he wants things done.’
It is more than just the ketchup bans, the intense training sessions or the tactical meetings poring over the microscopic details.
