Ben & Rob's preview - Vitesse

What a night in store at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this evening - Antonio Conte's first game in charge as our new Head Coach and a must-win game in the UEFA Europa Conference League against Vitesse Arnhem (8pm).

Take it away, chaps!

The Conte factor

Ben and Rob's reaction to Antonio Conte's appointment and the feeling going into the game against Vitesse...

Ben: "I'm ridiculously excited for this one, and genuinely can't wait for kick-off to see how we set up, how Antonio approaches it, how the crowd react, how the energy feels in the stadium. It's been incredible watching Spurs fans soak up every little bit of these last couple of days and the wave of optimism that is spreading throughout the fanbase. I think, ultimately, seeing a Head Coach in our technical area in his prime having been there, seen it, done it and won it in both England and Italy is incredibly special. There are so many other parts of this appointment that are hugely exciting - such as which players will now use this fresh start to kick on and show the very best version of themselves."

Rob: "It's one of the most exciting Premier League appointments I can remember. Conte is a winner, one of the best coaches in the world and a rocket that will fire up the stadium on the touchline. A thousand questions are running through my head. Will he play three at the back? Which players can he improve and bring to the fore as he has done at other clubs? Can he get Kane and Son firing? The club has been given a lift even before a ball has been kicked. Make no mistake, while his teams have always defended well - Juventus, Chelsea and Inter all played exciting football."

The Vites

Let's not forget that this is a crucial match in terms of our UEFA Europa Conference League group...

Ben: "This is a really difficult one, because when I look back at the result against Vitesse and the way they celebrated, it gives you a feel for how desperate they were to win that night and how much of a scalp Spurs are still in Europe. People said it was one of the biggest wins in their history. It was such a bizarre game and felt so fractured and stop-start which really suited Vitesse, who were incredibly smart in terms of their approach, stopping us from counter-attacking early so they could be resolute at the back. There is so much at stake here for so many players that you’d expect us to be very front foot with our approach."

Rob: "The loss at Vitesse was undeniably damaging. A win there would have made things much more comfortable - and now qualification from the group hangs in the balance. Wing-backs Wittek and Dasa combined superbly for the winner and the Dutch side deserved their win on the night. Bazoer impressed at centre-back with a commanding defensive and passing display. They were organised and physical. Antonio Conte's arrival will lift Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and winning the home games in group stage football defines whether or not a team gets in to the knock-outs. I'm sure the atmosphere will feel very different on Thursday."

Random question

As we're playing Dutch opposition, a Dutch dilemma - if you could sign either Edgar Davids or Rafa van der Vaart in their prime, who would you go for?

Rob: "I feel bad not picking Rafa as we met him a couple of weeks ago on N17 Live - but I'll plump for peak Davids. He was one of my favourite players growing up - a blockbuster, bustling midfielder who'd do a superb job in central midfield. But now I'm picturing Rafa in the 10 position for Conte's Spurs, creating and scoring, finding Son and Kane with clever passes. Okay, I've talked myself out of Davids. Rafa van der Vaart please!"

Ben: "I’d sign Edgar Davids in a heartbeat. Imagine him in that crisp Lilywhite shirt bulldozing his way through midfields all over the place, harrying every last ball, getting booked for a huge challenge to bring the stadium to its feet, then giving you heart attacks for the next 80 minutes whilst flying into challenges! Having said that, can I take a hybrid? I’ll take Rafa for 60 minutes and then bring on Edgar for the last half-hour!"