Conte Sets Spurs Premier League Reality According to Investment

• Antonio Conte went on a rant after Tottenham opened the new year with a loss to Villa
• The Italian ruled out Spurs' Premier League title chances and predicted a tough top four
• He highlighted what areas the team must improve on if they are to become contenders

Antonio Conte is not taking Tottenham Hotspur's loss to Aston Villa as a norm, bemoaning the club's lack of investment in quality players as a major fact for their struggles in recent times.

In the last 10 games, Tottenham have conceded first and had to come back to earn a draw or win, and in the last seven games conceded more than two goals - a situation Conte has blamed on a lack of quality.

He ruled out the club's title chances, calling it crazy for anyone to label Spurs title contenders at any point in time of the season, as it is 'not their reality'.

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Conte rants after Villa loss

The former Chelsea boss is known to walk if the situation is not right.

He quit Inter - despite winning the Scudetto - after claiming the club showed no ambitions to improve, as reported by the Guardian.

Conte also threatened to quit Spurs in the past if the club owner did not invest in the team, according to Mirror.

His rant after Spurs lost, as quoted by the Athletic, should come as no surprise then.

“I know the reality. I live at the club every day. I know the ambition. They know my thoughts… There are clubs that can invest 200 or 300 million (pounds). You have to respect the politics; it has to be clear, otherwise we create an expectation that’s not positive."

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The Italian then told Spurs fans to match their expectations with reality.

“I was expecting this moment. Now we have to start to fight. The situation is we’re there (fifth) and in this league you can slip quickly. But this is a process, guys. You need time, patience. I understand the fans are disappointed, but if you want the truth, I’ll tell you the truth.”

Conte predicts difficult top four

Sports Brief earlier reported that Conte predicted a difficult race to the top four this season, and warned his players it would be more difficult to place there this term around.

The former Juventus boss guided Spurs to fourth place ahead of London rivals Arsenal, after taking over mid-season after the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo.

He felt this season posed different challenges however, saying the league had become more competitive, with Newcastle United in the mix to displace one of the 'big six' from the top four.