‘I’m telling you’ – Pundit confidently calls Tottenham duo ‘the answer’ to Conte crisis in big prediction

Tottenham centre-back duo Eric Dier and Cristian Romero can help ease the crisis faced by Antonio Conte, one pundit has said.

Manager Conte arrived at Spurs with a significant track record of having an instant impact on clubs. While he led Chelsea to the Premier League title in his first season, he won Serie A with Inter last term.

Nevertheless, he has made no secret of his belief that Tottenham is one of his biggest challenges. The north London club have faced continued troubles following Mauricio Pochettino’s sacking in November 2019.

Conte has looked to completely change the mentality at Tottenham. However, he has been honest with his frank assessments of the club’s struggles. Indeed, he claimed “mistakes” in the past led to a “very strange” January transfer window.

Despite reshaping his squad with two new players, he – somewhat sorrowfully – admitted that “the situation is not changing” after Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to Burnley.

And Conte appeared to throw his future into even more doubt in an interview with talkSPORT‘s Sam Matterface.

According to Noel Whelan, though, centre-back duo Romero and Dier can help stabilise the situation. Both players have recently come back from long-term injuries and have played the last two games together.

“They’ve not played that much, Dier and Romero,” Whelan told Football Insider.

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“They’ve both had injury problems. This is now the part of the season where you need to get that partnership going.

“It’s the best duo at the back – it’s the partnership you want, I’m telling you, and they are the answer. You could already see the improvement when Dier came back in. He was organising, pulling people around, telling people to mark.

“I think they’ve sorely missed him and he can certainly kick on now with Romero next to him.

“He’s taken some criticism, but he’s really taken up the mantle and become that leader under Conte.”

Dier has been a regular at Tottenham under Pochettino, Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo. He has only recently returned from a thigh injury. Romero, meanwhile, suffered a hamstring injury earlier this season.

Spurs need solution

Spurs’ defeat was another blow in their hunt for a top-four Premier League finish.

They have now lost four of the past five top-flight games, a situation Conte claimed “no one” at Tottenham deserves.

Indeed, he questioned whether he had the credentials to turn the situation around, adding that “maybe in this moment I am not so good”.

The defeat left Tottenham eighth in the league, seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester United.

Spurs must now pick themselves up for Saturday’s clash with Leeds United, who are also in a lowly position.

The Whites lost 6-0 to Liverpool at Anfield elsewhere on Wednesday to add to their fears of a relegation battle.