TUNE out the noise. That was the challenge thrown down by Antonio Conte ahead of another test of Tottenham‘s mettle – and their eardrums.
Travelling supporters landed in Germany with orders to avoid Frankfurt’s Sachsenhausen district for fear of sparking trouble.
Their players arrived with warnings ringing in their ears, too: Eintracht Frankfurt will offer a boisterous welcome tonight. Are Spurs ready?
Antonio Conte has warned his side must be better on the road after defeat at Sporting Lisbon
‘For sure, this is the story. Last season in Europe, we lost many games away: Pacos de Ferreira, Vitesse and against (NS) Mura with me,’ Conte said.
‘This season the same story: we lost against Sporting (Lisbon) and now Arsenal away… we have to do much better.’ That, the manager says, requires an improvement in ‘personality’. And fast. Or else this Champions League adventure could become rather hairy indeed.
Spurs sit second in Group D, level on points with Frankfurt ahead of this double-header.
Ivan Perisic is expecting a much-improved Tottenham performance against Eintracht Frankfurt
‘I believe in my team-mates and my coach, I believe we’re going to show tomorrow because it’s a really important stage in the group,’ Ivan Perisic said.
Only once since Conte took over have Spurs lost two matches on the spin.
The last time they suffered a third defeat in four, meanwhile, came at Burnley in February. That night, Conte questioned whether he was the man for the job.