Tottenham Hotspur’s interim manager Cristian Stellini has been criticised for a lack of changes since taking over from Antonio Conte, and has explained why that is in his latest press conference.

Since parting ways with Conte at the end of March, Stellini has been overseeing first-team affairs and will continue to do so until the end of the current season.

Cristian Stellini Ryan Mason

(Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)

Conte’s former assistant has not had the best start to his temporary stint in charge. Spurs have thrown away winning positions to draw with struggling Southampton and Everton, while the defeat against Bournemouth on Sunday proved to be particularly frustrating for supporters.

There has been just one victory since Conte left, the 2-1 win over Brighton, where Stellini was sent off.

During Conte’s reign this season, many fans and pundits were bemused by the seemingly defensive approach to games. Now, there is a feeling that very little has changed since Stellini took over.

With just seven games to go until the end of the season, Spurs face an uphill battle to secure a top-four finish. A victory over Newcastle on Sunday would go a long way to easing that challenge.

Speaking to the press (via Charlie Eccleshare) ahead of the weekend, Stellini was asked why he hasn’t changed the style of play at Spurs, and had a slightly prickly reply.

He said: “I am the coach and I decide what is best for the team. We have players out so it’s not always a simple decision.”

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Yes, the injury issues at the club are pretty severe and limit our options, but there’s still scope to mix things up and at least get the players approaching games in a more positive way.

Responses like this help no one, and fans will be very unhappy if things don’t change at the weekend.

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