Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has called Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte impatient, claiming that the Italian can never do what Mikel Arteta has done at Arsenal.
Conte, who has won one Premier League and four Serie A titles in his career, is rated as one of the best managers around. Arteta, on the other hand, is yet to establish himself as a winner on the managerial circuit.
In the 2021-22 Premier League season, Arteta’s Arsenal missed out on a top-four spot, with Conte’s Spurs clinching it at the end. The Gunners have since found their footing and are currently sitting at the top of the league with a five-point lead and a game in hand over Manchester City.
Speaking on The Overlap, Carragher claimed that while Conte was a great manager, he did not possess the patience required to build a team from the ground up.
“I don’t think Conte could do what Arteta has done, or Klopp, almost build it every year and getting better,” the former Liverpool defender said.
He added:
“Conte, he wants to win right now, he’s impatient. That’s why he loses his head in press conferences. I don’t think it’s ever a project with Antonio Conte. And that’s not a criticism. He wants to win today, he’s not even thinking about tomorrow.”
The Lilywhites are currently fifth in the Premier League standings after picking up 39 points from 22 games. Having played two more games than their north London rivals, Spurs find themselves 11 points adrift of the Gunners.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard reveals why he chose Real Madrid as a teenager
The Gunners’ current captain Martin Odegaard joined Real Madrid as a 16-year-old in 2015, after turning down offers from Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Arsenal. He was tipped to become a first-teamer at Madrid but ended up making only 11 first-team appearances, spending most of his time out on loan.
Speaking to The Players Tribune, Odegaard revealed why he turned down other clubs in Real Madrid’s favor.
“So, why Real Madrid then? I talked about it a lot with my dad and the rest of my family. In the end, Madrid is Madrid,” Odegaard began.
“They were the Champions League holders with the best players in the world. Back then, I loved Isco — he was so smooth on the ball. Another one of my kind of players!”
He concluded by saying:
“But the really key thing about Madrid’s offer was that they had a B team where I could play competitive football immediately. And the manager of that team? Zinedine Zidane. It felt like the total package.”
Odegaard has been a revelation since leaving Madrid for Arsenal in January 2021 (initially on loan; permanent switch in July). He has thus far played 86 games for them across competitions, scoring 17 times and providing 13 assists.