Boss: Wembley not a problem
Antonio Conte insists he will remain committed to Chelsea even if he doesn’t get the new signings he wants before the transfer window shuts on Thursday.
Conte hasn’t been shy about expressing his frustration at Chelsea’s failure to land his top transfer targets and reports over the weekend suggested the Blues boss would consider resigning if the deadline passed without new recruits joining the champions.
While Chelsea have spent £130 million on Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Antonio Rudiger, Conte has told Blues owner Roman Abramovich he needs a stronger squad to compete for the Premier League and Champions League.
Linked with Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater, Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Swansea City striker Fernando Llorente, Conte once again reiterated his wish for fresh faces after Sunday’s 2-0 win over Everton.
But the former Juventus coach made it clear he has no intention of walking out whatever happens in the transfer market.
“I think my message for the fans is always the same. I’m totally committed to the club, to improve my players and my team,” he said.
“I’m a coach, not a manager, the best of my work is on the pitch.”
Goals from Cesc Fabregas and Morata secured a drama-free victory against lacklustre Everton and Conte’s thoughts quickly turned to the transfer situation when he faced the media at Stamford Bridge.
With Chelsea having seven games in a hectic September, Conte is desperate to bolster a squad shorn of John Terry, Nemanja Matic, Nathan Ake, Nathaniel Chalobah and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
The sale of Matic to title rivals Manchester United irked Conte and once again he made it clear Chelsea would be vulnerable if reinforcements don’t arrive.
“There are four days to go in the transfer market. Don’t forget when we start next month we have to play seven games,” he said.
“I need to rotate my players. It’s very difficult to play seven games in a month with the same players.
“The club know very well our situation. They are working hard.”
Although Morata scored his second goal since his move from Real Madrid, the striker was an isolated figure for long periods and Conte conceded he is still a work in progress.
“It’s not easy for a striker to arrive and adapt immediately to our style. I’m pleased he got another goal,” Conte said.
Rocked by their loss to Burnley, Chelsea have steadied the ship with successive wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, prompting Conte to suggest his team have learned from that opening-day shock.
“That game helped us to understand this season will be very difficult,” he said.
Like Conte, Everton manager Ronald Koeman hopes for new signings before the deadline, but he wouldn’t be drawn on talk of a move for exiled Chelsea striker Diego Costa.
“We need at least two more players. The most important thing is to get a striker in,” he said.
“I don’t know (about Costa). We are looking at players who are maybe available.”
Koeman also revealed winger Kevin Mirallas had been left out of his squad for showing a bad attitude.
“Everybody can be disappointed, but I expect from everybody to be part of the team and if somebody is showing that he is disappointed and his attitude is not the same, then I make decisions,” Koeman said. – AFP
– Mauricio Pochettino (above) said Tottenham Hotspur have a “mental problem, not a Wembley problem” after their hoodoo at their temporary home struck again against Burnley.
Spurs could not hold onto Dele Alli’s 49th-minute opener in Sunday’s game, with Chris Wood’s injury-time strike earning visitors Burnley a 1-1 Premier League draw.
Tottenham have won just twice at the national stadium in 12 attempts since 2007 and have not claimed victory there so far this season while White Hart Lane is being redeveloped.
Yet Pochettino says their new surroundings have played no part in their poor start, saying: “I agree we can’t have moments like this if we want to challenge for the title.
“We need to work hard to try to be more strong, because that is a mental problem that we need to fix.
“It’s true that the results are too early to try to analyse what will happen in the future, because last season after three or four games you would never have said that Chelsea would be champions.
“That is why in football you have to try to work hard to fix the problems and it is clear we need to improve and increase our mental levels and become more strong.”
Spurs have lost eight of the last 11 games they have played at Wembley and were beaten 2-1 by Chelsea in their first match there this season, but Pochettino refuses to entertain talk of a jinx.
“It has nothing to do with Wembley. It’s not a Wembley problem,” said the Spurs manager.
Harry Kane was one guilty party as he missed a catalogue of chances, meaning he is still waiting for his first goal of the season.
“I feel sorry for him because he had the opportunities to score and always a striker needs a bit of luck,” said Pochettino. – AFP