Night for Spurs to show steel without Conte on their case

Ban for boss means squad must take more responsibility in hostile encounter tonight

- Dan Kilpatrick in Marseille

IN Antonio Conte's mind, Tottenham would already be through to the Champions League knockouts if they more consistently behaved like a bigger club.

A furious Conte was convinced that the VAR would not have been brave enough to disallow Harry Kane's stoppage-time goal against Sporting Lisbon last week if Spurs were a "top team" by which he meant a side such as Real Madrid or Liverpool, who know how to win this competition.

If the decision had gone Spurs' way, they would already be through to the last-16 as group winners, and tonight's match here in Marseille would be a welcome dead-rubber.

Instead, the occasion will go a long way to determining if their first half of the season has been a success or failure, and even colour perceptions of Conte's work in his first year at the club.

Amid all the focus on his tactics, rotation and game-management, as Conte celebrates the anniversary of his appointment he is still working to change the bigger fundamentals concerning his players' mentality, as well as the way the club behaves.

The Italian was used to big decisions going his way with Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan, and he wants his players and superiors to be more bullish.