Splitting hairs here I think as I was very pleased with the performance, but note that this is still very much a work in progress. Overall, I thought the defense was excellent, but the attack is still going to take some time to reach it's limited potential. Consequently, this team will drop points even when they outplay the opposition.
I think the WBs are the perfect microcosm of this. Overall, I'm thrilled with Emerson and Reggie and they're a big reason why I'm optimistic about the system working THIS season. They're both lungbusters that can create the number overloads required by Conte's various systems. They're not Marcus Alonso level, not yet anyway, but they both have the potential and that's good enough for now. That being said, they both sucked at crossing yesterday and likely left a goal or even 2 on the field with just that aspect.
On the good side of the ledger, I think Conte will be able to piece together capable defenses with this bunch. Conte said it himself yesterday that Rodon is the backup to Dier at CB and that he's doing very well in training. I hope they get him some reps soon because the holiday fixture crunch, like winter, is coming. We've talked about Davies a lot already but Conte is clearly going to squeeze every ounce of potential out of him and the player is already playing with lots of confidence. He fits Conte's needs at LCB to a T. I'm more bullish on Dav than most--I think the tools are just too good. Even though I think he's a 4ATB CB and actually not particularly well suited to 3ATB, I think he'll be fine for the remainder of the season if he sticks around, especially as a backup RCB to Cuti. I'm not really sure about Tang. His stints at both CB and FB in 4ATB formations would seem to bolster his case as an outside CB in 3ATB, but I think it actually accentuates his offensive deficiencies and doesn't best utilize his considerable defensive prowess. Nevertheless, I love the player and I bet Conte values his combativeness. He also seems very coachable. So I don't worry about him sticking around, but I also think he's a prime candidate for sale.
Skipp is here for the longhaul. He's Conte's guy. Finding the right CMF pair for him is the challenge. Hoj is getting the chance so far because he's defensively stout, has the stamina, takes instruction, and is a warrior. But he has limited upside in attack. That's a problem because this team has awkward fits at winger right now (more on that below). Tanguy is the most talented CMF we have by far, but he's not the best fit for Conte. That's not to say it won't work or Conte isn't building or won't build a system that features him, but it's probably a bad allocation of resources ATM. I've made my case for GLC and I still feel that's the case. GLC is a defensive workhorse who is probably the best MF presser in the squad. He's shined for Argentina in a stodgy MF3 with Paredes and De Paul. He's also at his best in the center of the park where he can utilize his elite (IMO) passing skill. Winks, who knows. He could be better than Hoj and GLC in this system or he can cause the whole thing to fall apart. I would've thought that Dele is a winger in this system (where the wingers play very narrow) but the conventional wisdom is that Dele is at his best facing goal in the final third. Considering his defensive workrate under Nuno, I wonder if he's a darkhorse candidate at CMF? Probably not because he's just too cavalier with his passing but I'm still interested in the idea in a vaccuum--in reality, there's too many and better options at CMF. Now if Conte works in more 3-5-2...
Up front, Conte likely doesn't take the job without an elite striker like Kane in the fold. Kane can pretty much do it all with his well-rounded skillset. Conte has said that he wants to get Kane closer to the opposition box, but yesterday's match was a perfect example of the team's transition as the second goal came from Kane dropping deep and being the creative motor. The real issue at the moment is at winger. Son is a beast and his performance yesterday showed that he can do the job at wing. But having him bust ass and defending in the middle third probably isn't the best way to use him. I imagine that Conte is trying to install and rep the 343 before moving onto the 352, but looking at the squad I think it's much better suited to the latter. This team has 2 elite attackers and a bevy of options at CMF/AMF. That screams 352 > 343 to me.
Lucas is a bit underrated by Spurs fans generally IMO. His skill on the ball and defensive workrate shouldn't be overlooked. In Conte's system, the front 3 but especially the wings are the outlet ball and they frequently receive hard passes under pressure. The ability to receive a pass, withstand pressure, and have the endurance to constantly be working for position in both attack and defense are why Lucas has started so much. All that said and I don't think the best XI includes Lucas. Right now he's the more defensive winger opposite Son while Conte installs the 343 and that's fine. But his biggest deficiency is in combination play and that's kinda the key to Conte's philosophy. Maybe Conte's more rehearsed combinations will mitigate that a bit, but my guess is we see Lucas sold in the summer.
What's weird about Conte's fit with this squad is that young players like Bergy and Gil don't neatly fit into the picture (IMO) despite being very talented and promising. Perhaps Bergy is just waiting to break out but I kind of expected him to get the first shot at winger opposite Son. Maybe his defensive work just isn't up to snuff yet. I thought Dele would be a good fit at winger as well but that hasn't happened yet--again, still early.
With the caveat that I don't know where Sarr fits into this picture, but I expect for Conte/Paratici to prioritize 1. CMF, 2. CB, 3. winger, and 4. backup striker in the next 2 windows. Lastly, I wonder if Conte considers Son an option at striker in the 343. He's certainly versatile to file a variety of roles up front in a 352, but the 343 distinguishes quite a bit more between the striker and wing roles.