Tottenham: Four reasons why Antonio Conte has failed to win silverware with Spurs
Tottenham’s season spiralled further out of control with a Champions League defeat at the hands of AC Milan to leave Antonio Conte’s days at the club numbered.
Spurs' European exit on Wednesday night occurred the week after a dismal FA Cup defeat at Sheffield United to make it a 15th consecutive season without silverware.
Subdued style
While the goals flowed during the final months of last season, a key element for his 3-4-3 formation to work is productive wing-backs and without it his system can struggle.
That is exactly what has happened this campaign with Tottenham regularly failing to create from wide areas and instead relying on individual brilliance, largely from Harry Kane, or set-piece goals.
The wrong fit anyway?
The chance to work in the Premier League again appealed to the former Chelsea boss months after increasing his stock by bringing the Scudetto back to Inter Milan.
But at Tottenham he was always going to encounter a club that does not splash cash like its rivals and he also took over a squad that was in need of a rebuild.
Squad management
His lack of rotation only served to run the regulars into the ground and injuries subsequently followed before and after the World Cup break.
It has contributed towards the malaise that has affected both Son Heung-min and Kulusevski this term.
Home sick?
External factors have played a part. It has been a distressing few months for Conte, who lost long-term friend and Spurs fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone in October.
Soon after his old adversary Sinisa Mihajlovic died and Gianluca Vialli's death occurred at the start of January.