“I’m making my evaluations directly” – Antonio Conte fires warning shot to Tottenham squad ahead of the January window

The January window is a few weeks away, and these last couple of matches heading into 2022 could be the last for some to impress manager Antonio Conte. 

After their UEFA Conference League loss to NŠ Mura, Conte had some remarks ahead of their Sunday against Burnley FC. The Italian tactician stated that type of mindset a player needs to have to play for Tottenham.

‘For sure, we need players with the right mentality and with the quality, players that deserve to play for Tottenham and aspire to be competitive, to fight for this shirt, to win something,” Conte said, whose remarks were relayed by the Daily Mail.

“For sure, we need this (…) I’m making my evaluations directly, not through the TV or through other persons, but directly, and for sure, we need to improve a lot to reduce the gap with the top teams. I want to be honest. I repeat, I’m not scared to face this situation, but it is important that everybody understands.”

January will see some players depart, but not everyone will be leaving, considering the short time to get deals done. However, a good display over these next few weeks could allow a player to get a more extended look in the second half of the season.

The Daily Mail has already compiled their list of players that need to either stay or go, and some supporters have theirs. Nonetheless, Conte will have the last say in who survives the possible departures as he begins to implement his vision.