When Tottenham welcome West Ham to north London on Sunday afternoon, Cristian Stellini would be the foremost man within the dugout as soon as once more.

Earlier this week, it was introduced that Spurs head coach Antonio Conte would stay in Italy – following the 1-0 defeat to AC Milan within the Champions League – after a post-operation verify that adopted latest gallbladder surgical procedure.

And so, in consequence, his assistant and countryman will step up take cost for the third time this season.

The primary event got here in a 2-1 Champions League win over Marseille in November, when Conte was compelled to serve a touchline ban, the second was a 1-0 win over Manchester Metropolis within the Premier League on February 5.

Two wins from two is just not dangerous going for a person whose expertise main a crew outright equates to 5 months in control of Serie C outfit Alessandria again in 2017.

However any suggestion that he’s having fun with this expertise is rapidly refuted. It is a case of holding the fort, nothing extra.

“My feeling is to not get pleasure from this; my feeling is to be accountable,” he says in an unique interview with Sky Sports activities at Tottenham’s Hotspur Approach coaching advanced.

“I really feel the stress. It is a second that I must develop as a coach and when you need to take essential choices, you need to really feel accountable.

Sunday nineteenth February 4:00pm


Kick off 4:30pm

“It isn’t about me, it is in regards to the membership, the followers, the gamers, our jobs, our lives. It is rather more essential than my emotions.”

It’s most definitely a welcome bonus that he has a direct line to Conte, who’s staying abreast of crew issues as he takes time to recuperate at his household dwelling, albeit midway throughout Europe.

The pair – who beforehand labored with each other at Juventus and Inter Milan – are in touch “many instances a day”, however whereas Stellini admits Conte must take time to recuperate sufficiently, he’s combating being away from the day-to-day working of the crew.

He continues: “Antonio is recovering and is a bit upset as a result of he can’t be right here with us. However he is advantageous, bodily. We perceive he must recuperate from the surgical procedure and now he must take his time.

“We do not know if the ache [he felt during the AC Milan game] got here from stress or the small time he took to recuperate as a result of to remain in cost and reside soccer like Antonio does usually is with ardour and possibly this ardour introduced extra ache for him. He understands that he got here again too early.

“He’s out there. We communicate in regards to the crew and coaching day by day and a few choices we are going to take collectively.

“However this time is sweet just for his restoration as a result of when Antonio is way from his job, he is not glad. He’s happier right here, working with us and the crew. Possibly it is a totally different sort of stress, however he must take it straightforward. I haven’t got an concept when he can be again, although.”

So how have the gamers responded to Stellini stepping up on a number of events?

“They’re targeted,” Stellini explains. “On this side I really feel superb and cozy as a result of once I look the gamers within the eyes, I really feel they’re taking extra accountability as a result of Antonio is just not right here.

“Additionally they maintain me as a result of my relationship with them is particular, like each assistant supervisor wants. I can really feel that the gamers wish to do it additionally as a result of they like once we work collectively.

“It is unusual [to step up] as a result of it is a totally different job. It was actually unusual to be in cost for one sport [vs Marseille], however I had the coach with me. Now it is totally different as a result of the coach is just not right here, however I really feel Antonio’s presence with me.

“I wish to say clearly, I am not alone. We’re in cost collectively, we organise every little thing collectively and with all of the workers.”

Spurs go into Sunday’s match following successive defeats to Leicester and AC Milan and stay fifth within the Premier League desk, albeit having performed two video games greater than Brighton, who’re 4 factors behind in sixth.

Stellini admits he noticed enhancements within the Milan sport, however is in search of his gamers to step up one other notch towards the Hammers, who’ve drawn with Newcastle and Chelsea of their final two league outings.

“We’re unhappy as a result of after the Man Metropolis win, we thought we could possibly be significantly better, a lot stronger,” he says.

“My feeling was the Leicester sport got here precisely three days earlier than the AC Milan sport and that may have an effect on the crew. We have now to simply accept that.

“The AC Milan efficiency was significantly better than Leicester. It was a sport the place we conceded a purpose in a scenario we might management and my expectation is to play an excellent sport on Sunday towards West Ham as a result of we want and deserve it. We wish to play a sport and win.

“We have now to be cautious as a result of West Ham have a specific talent, they’re robust. On this league, not many golf equipment have such a talent. They’ve energy, they’re tall, they’re robust in counter-attacks, robust in set-pieces, so they are going to be tough to play towards.

“We all know it is a derby in our stadium in entrance of our followers and we wish to play an excellent sport and present from the beginning that we’re a crew.”

Towards Milan, the north Londoners began with Oliver Skipp, 22, and Pape Matar Sarr, 20, in midfield, owing to Rodrigo Bentancur’s season-ending ACL harm and a suspension for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

With a touch of a smile, Stellini speaks extremely of the younger pair and explains how essential an element they’ll play throughout a time when the membership goes by way of an harm disaster of kinds, with Hugo Lloris, Ryan Sessegnon and Yves Bissouma all sidelined for prolonged intervals, too.

“Rodrigo was an essential participant final season as a result of we reached our goal with Hojbjerg and Bentancur collectively for a very long time. We have now to simply accept shedding Bentancur for a very long time.

“It is harmful, but additionally we’re glad in the mean time with the performances of Skipp and Sarr. We have now two younger gamers prepared. We have now repeated many instances that we belief in all of the younger gamers and in addition Pape and Skippy now are the truth.

“Not solely are they younger gamers, they’ll play and must play sooner or later. They have been wonderful [against Milan]. They have been fully targeted on the sport and so they by no means got here out of the sport. They created an excellent stability for us defensively, offensively and within the transition; they stopped the transition of AC Milan many instances.”

Whether or not that partnership continues within the short-term stays to be seen, however, no matter occurs, the actual fact Spurs have a transparent week earlier than going through Chelsea at dwelling subsequent Sunday can solely show helpful to its progress.

And with Conte seemingly not anticipated again at Hotspur Approach within the fast future, that point will undoubtedly show useful to Stellini and the gamers as a way to minimise disruption.

“To have a full week to arrange for a sport is essential, as a result of you have got little time and in some points you can not work when have a tricky schedule the place we play each three days. We are going to use this week to not solely have a relaxation day, but additionally to work in some points to play many video games.”

Spurs are in good fingers in Conte’s absence – and, all being nicely, he would possibly discover them in a fair higher spot when he returns.

Watch Tottenham vs West Ham on Sky Sports activities Premier League on Tremendous Sunday from 4pm; kick-off 4.30pm