Antonio Conte sympathised with his Tottenham players after they were eliminated from the EFL Cup by Nottingham Forest, citing tiredness in the run-up to the World Cup.
Despite playing 12 games since the beginning of October, Conte decided to make just four changes to the team that lost to Liverpool on Sunday, including starts for Eric Dier and Harry Kane, both ever presents this season.
The Italian blamed a lack of alternative options due to injuries as his team fell to a 2-0 loss at the City Ground thanks to goals from Renan Lodi and Jesse Lingard on Wednesday.
"The performance, I have to be honest, I think maybe tonight the energy was really poor for us" Spurs head coach Conte said.
"Don't forget that it was the 12th game in a really short period. The games that we played in the past, every game was really, really difficult and we lost a lot of mental energy and physical energy.
"I only say thanks to my players because there are players who are really tired. I have to manage the situation with [Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg and [Rodrigo] Bentancur because they were tired.
"The same for Harry Kane. Until this morning we waited to see if he could start or not. He was the only [fit] striker so again, I can only say thanks to my players."
One positive for Spurs was that they did not go in behind at half-time, as they had done in their previous five games, but they also did not come out in the second half with much energy.
Lodi and Lingard's goals arrived in the first 12 minutes following the break, and even though Forest were reduced to 10 men when Orel Mangala was shown a second yellow card with 15 minutes remaining, Spurs could not find a response, having just two shots on target to the hosts' eight.
Debutant goalkeeper Fraser Forster made six saves to keep the score down, though Conte could at least call on the returning Richarlison from the bench, just a day after he was named in Brazil's World Cup squad.
"I have a group of players who are first men, and then good players," he added. "Another could be selfish to think to himself 'in a week I have to play the World Cup.'
"Instead, Harry Kane showed to be a really good man. Not only him though, the same for Bentancur, Perisic, and Dier is another player who has played a lot of games.
"We faced a situation that is really bad with the injuries. We arrived at the end in real difficulty. Now we have to try to rest and find energy."
King, David optimistic Soca Warriors will be at their best against Cuba in must-win Nations League fixtures
With momentum by no means in their favour, Trinidad and Tobago’s interim Head coach Derek King and captain Aubrey David are optimistic that the Soca Warriors might have saved their best for last as they face a must-win situation against Cuba in their upcoming Concacaf Nations League encounters.
Rooted at the foot of Group B in League A with a point, the Soca Warriors will have to take Cuba’s scalp in hostile territory on Thursday and again in the Twin Island Republic on Monday to not only improve their chances of progressing to the quarterfinals, but more importantly, avoid relegation to League B.
Jamaica and Nicaragua are set for a top-of-the-table clash as both head the standings on four points each, with Honduras (three points) and Cuba (two points) in close proximity. French Guiana, also on a point, round out the group.
After suffering a 0-4 loss away to Honduras in their opening fixture, Trinidad and Tobago were expected to rebound at home against French Guiana. Instead, they were held to a goalless stalemate, and that has left them in their current predicament.
Still, King is hopeful that the addition of experienced midfielders Joevin Jones, Kevin Molino, and others will turn their fortunes and prove rewarding where securing six crucial points is concerned.
“The guys are fully aware of the task at hand; we had discussions, and we all know that we need six points. But let us focus on this very important game first. We have to go out there and give it our best shot and get three points to go back home with,” King said in an interview with TTFA Media from the team’s base in Cuba.
“We had a locally-based team training for two and a half weeks, so we decided that we would go with some of the locally-based players and add some foreign-based players who were not with the team before. I think the guys we added would bring some kind of experience to the unit we have at this point.
“They are senior men to the team. They have played overseas as well, professional players. So, I think it's good to add their knowledge with this bunch. They will add some quality to the team as well, so we must go out there and give it our best,” he added.
Meanwhile, David, who is charged with marshalling the Soca Warriors defensive line, is mindful that Cuba will also fancy their chances of progressing and, as such, are not going to be a walkover.
“Cuba has a lot of foreign players; they have players who play in Costa Rica, in Guatemala, and the USA as well. Basically, they have a young team, but they’re willing to fight. They’re hungry and want to prove themselves because they’re at home,” David assessed.
“So it’s just for us to be together and execute our game plan so that we can leave here with three points.
“We have a lot of young players as well, and some with quality. I think they stepped up in the last Nations League; we saw a lot of them jumping onto the international scene and making a big impact, so it’s just for them to continue on that momentum,” he noted.
Former USMNT boss Berhalter announced as new Chicago Fire head coach
Former United States boss Gregg Berhalter has been named as the new director of football and head coach of MLS side Chicago Fire.
Berhalter was sacked as the USMNT head coach nine days after a dismal group-stage exit at the Copa America earlier this year.
The 51-year-old's arrival means Frank Klopas, who is the Fire's current head coach, will step down and transition into a new role as the club's vice president of football.
Berhalter does have previous experience in the MLS, spending five years in charge of the Columbus Crew between 2013 and 2018.
Across his 192 games in charge of the Crew, Berhalter won 76 matches (D46 L70), with his team scoring 287 goals and averaging a win percentage of 38.34%.
Berhalter then began his first stint as the USMNT head coach in 2018, starting strongly with victories over rivals Mexico in the first-ever Nations League final as well as in the showpiece match of the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
He then guided the USMNT to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup before they were beaten 3-1 by the Netherlands.
Berhalter's contract expired in December 2022, but was then brought back six months later with a view to guiding the team through to the 2026 World Cup, which the United States would co-host with Canada and Mexico.
However, Berhalter lasted just 14 games, winning seven of those (D1 L6) and has since been replaced by former Chelsea head coach, Mauricio Pochettino.
The 51-year-old arrives at an underperforming Chicago side, who currently occupy last place in the Eastern Conference with one game of the regular season remaining.
The Fire have reached the MLS Cup playoffs just twice in the last 15 years, with this campaign the seventh consecutive season they have failed to feature in the post-season.
“I’m honoured to be named Director of Football and Head Coach of the Chicago Fire, and I would like to thank Joe Mansueto for his trust," said Berhalter.
“Chicago is an incredible city, built on communities of hard-working and passionate people who truly love soccer.
"I look forward to working alongside our staff and players to transform the Fire into a world-class organisation that all our fans and the city can be proud of and will support.”
Berhalter will officially start his duties for the 2025 MLS season.
Alisson set to miss at least seven Liverpool games with hamstring injury
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson is expected to be out for at least seven games after sustaining a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace.
The Brazilian went off in the 79th minute of Liverpool's 1-0 victory at Selhurst Park on Saturday and, according to widespread reports, is likely to be sidelined until at least the November international break.
Alisson was replaced by Premier League debutant Vitezslav Jaros against Palace as Caoimhin Kelleher missed that game through illness.
Kelleher deputised earlier in the season when Alisson was sidelined by a different hamstring injury, and is set to do so again, having recovered to join up with the Republic of Ireland national team.
Alisson also immediately pulled out of Brazil's squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers before having his scans.
"Alisson is our clear No. 1, the best goalkeeper in the world, so it's a blow when he gets injured for himself and the team," Slot said after the match on Saturday.
"We have a second option that's already good. Caoimhin has already shown that, which is why Caoimhin is the No. 2, and the last time Alisson was injured, I played Caoimhin."
The Reds have made a flying start to the season, winning nine of their 10 matches in all competitions.
However, they will likely have to navigate Premier League matches against Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton, who they also face in the EFL Cup, and Aston Villa without their usual number one, as well as Champions League meetings with RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen.
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