Antonio Conte’s unsure future threatens to wreck Tottenham’s spluttering season because the Italian returns to the bench for Wednesday’s decisive Champions League showdown in opposition to AC Milan. Conte is ready to be again answerable for Tottenham after lacking the final 4 video games as he recovered from gallbladder surgical procedure. Watching on tv again residence in Italy whereas remaining involved along with his assistant Cristian Stellini, Conte noticed Tottenham endure a uneven interval that encapsulated the membership’s inconsistent kind all through his reign.

A pair of 2-0 wins in opposition to West Ham and Chelsea recommended Tottenham have been on target to clinch a prime 4 place within the Premier League with a flourish.

But that optimism was punctured by a dismal 1-0 loss at second tier Sheffield United within the FA Cup fifth spherical and one other drab league defeat by the identical rating at Wolves on Saturday.

Conte has walked again into Tottenham’s plush coaching complicated this week to discover a membership not precisely in disaster — they nonetheless sit fourth within the Premier League for now — however as soon as once more drifting seemingly with out course in direction of an anti-climactic finish to the season.

The north Londoners have not gained a significant trophy since 2008 and even a supervisor of Conte’s pedigree has been unable to interrupt the drought.

While Jurgen Klopp memorably referred to his Liverpool gamers as “mentality monsters” in the course of the peak of their success beneath the German, Tottenham’s typically limp response to strain has made them look extra like “mentality midgets”.

Conte has portrayed Tottenham’s issues as past his management, subtlely hinting at frustration with the switch coverage of chairman Daniel Levy with out fully condemning him in public.

But the 53-year-old is taking his share of the blame from Tottenham followers, who’ve grown uninterested in his conservative techniques and questionable substitutions.

– ‘Massive increase’ –

Stellini’s run of three successive wins previous to the FA Cup defeat made some Tottenham devotees surprise what the longer term would seem like with out Conte.

The former title winner at Chelsea, Inter Milan and Juventus has but to signal an extension to a contract that expires on the finish of this season and would absolutely be in demand from Serie A golf equipment if he was accessible.

Even if Tottenham end within the prime 4 to ensure a return to the Champions League, it could be little shock if Conte and Levy determined a parting of the methods was the one possibility in May.

Against that troubled backdrop, Tottenham host Milan within the final 16 second leg trying to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the primary assembly on the San Siro.

Tottenham want Conte to elevate their spirits forward of a defining evening of their season.

Crashing out in opposition to a mediocre Milan can be one other signal of Tottenham’s malaise, however victory might function the springboard for a extra uplifting finale.

Tottenham defender Ben Davies acknowledged the importance of Conte being current for the Milan conflict.

“It’s been a while now but we have a huge game on Wednesday and it is very important he is with us,” he mentioned.

Conte has reduce a disgruntled determine on the touchline this season, however Stellini echoed Davies’s hope that Tottenham could be revived by their supervisor’s return.

“Antonio will be a massive boost for us until the end of the season,” Stellini mentioned.

“It is important that Antonio is back. The team show to Antonio it is alive. They want to win, they want to dominate the game.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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