Premier League

CRISTIAN STELLINI might have been in charge for all three of Tottenham’s February wins – but he is happy for absent Antonio Conte to get the credit.Conte is set to be on the shortlist for the Premier League Manager of the Month award.
Antonio Conte is set for a Manager of the Month nomination… despite being absentCredit: Getty
Cristian Stellini was in charge for all of Spurs’ February winsCredit: PA
That is despite Spurs losing the only league game he was present for.
Conte’s gallbladder surgery caused him to miss the 1-0 February 5 win over Manchester City.
He returned to the dugout too early to see a 4-1 Prem pasting at Leicester and the 1-0 Champions League loss at AC Milan before taking more time to recover.
Spurs then beat West Ham and Chelsea but Conte was in constant contact with Stellini as his side battled back into the top four.
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He even made in-game decisions by phone.
Fans have certainly been left baffled, with one saying: “Would be so Spursy if Conte wins a manager of the month award when he’s not even been in the country.”
Another declared: “He could be only manager in history to win with a 100 per cent losing record.”
One noted: “Give the award to Conte and let Stellini manage out of the limelight.”
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Another added: “That’s BS, don’t give it to us as that will be embarrassing.”
But Stellini believes Conte has played his part, saying: “Antonio was still with us so, if this happens, I’m happy for him.
“This could be a great opportunity to be proud of all the staff, not just me.
“We work very closely as a team and are very excited to work together.”

Stellini will be in charge again tonight as Spurs go to Championship high-fliers Sheffield United for their fifth round FA Cup clash.
But Conte, 53, is set to return for Saturday’s Prem trip to Wolves.
Asked if Tottenham’s good form has helped Conte’s recovery, Stellini said: “We didn’t speak about it but my feeling is our results have created positive energy in Antonio.
Our results have created positive energy in AntonioChristian Stellini
“When you have positive energy, you recover better. And for sure, he will come back with a good energy and positive vibes.”
Spurs could mix up their side at Bramall Lane after making no changes for the wins over West Ham and Chelsea.
One man who is likely to keep his place is Harry Kane, despite being rested for the 3-0 fourth-round win at Preston.
But Blades manager Paul Heckingbottom has worked out how to stop the England hero scoring.
He said: “The only way you guarantee it, is not to let him within 40 yards of your goal.
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“He scores all types of goals, they are a real threat from set-plays.
“We know that he needs very few chances and one thing we can try to do is limit those.” More

GARY NEVILLE hailed Erik ten Hag for revolutionising Manchester United inside just six months.And he identified FOUR key areas the new manager has upgraded to turn the club’s fortunes around.
Erik ten Hag ended United’s six-year wait for a trophyCredit: Alamy
Gary Neville is delighted by what he has seen from the DutchmanCredit: PA
United lifted the Carabao Cup on Sunday, their first piece of silverware for six years.
And Neville was quick to heap praise on the Dutchman – insisting he has got all the big calls right.
Ten Hag has had his fair share of challenges from dealing with Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit to overseeing the transfer window as well as managing Harry Maguire and Jadon Sancho amid their own struggles.
But the former right-back told The Overlap: “I think we need to retain our calmness because of what’s happened before, but to deal with Harry Maguire, Sancho, Ronaldo, the poor transfer window chasing Frenkie de Jong.
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“We walked into his office in the midst of a massive crisis where fans at that point were angry.
“Angry on the pitch, angry off the pitch, nothing was going right.
“I can’t believe what he’s done in six months, I cannot believe what he’s done.”
Neville compared the tactical prowess Ten Hag has displayed to that of legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
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And that includes the way he has used substitutions wisely in an era where he feels lots of strange changes are made by managers.
Neville continued: “What we saw in that final on Sunday was, for me, what Manchester United was like under Sir Alex Ferguson.
“We’d win games in different ways, it could be electric, it could be counter-attacking. It could be resilient, defensive, deep, compact. It could be nasty.
“I never want him to change the way we’ve played over the last couple of weeks.
“There are times when Jose [Mourinho] was at Chelsea and he made substitutions and Sir Alex would do the same thing and you think, ‘What’s he doing?’ And then they would work.
“Ten Hag’s done that now five or six times in the last few months.
“He’s made substitutions and even on Sunday I didn’t think [Marcel] Sabitzer and [Scott] McTominay would come on.
“I thought he’d bring a wide player on, [Alejandro] Garnacho or Sancho, and a midfielder.
“That surprised me but it got Manchester United back in control. Every time he makes a change it has a massive impact.”
Erik ten Hag continues to manage Harry Maguire wellCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Jadon Sancho has received plenty of support from the new managerCredit: PA More