CONTE’S THE BEST THING ABOUT CHELSEA
He might love a moan but. . .
ON SATURDAY evening, Antonio Conte was at it again. Another week, another grumble. At times, it has felt as though Conte is on one continuous whinge all season long.
He was unhappy about transfers. He was unhappy when Belgium coach Roberto Martinez dared to play the country’s captain Eden Hazard. He was unhappy when the broadcasters decided to place Chelsea’s game against Manchester City at Saturday tea-time after a Wednesday night trip to Atletico Madrid.
After this victory against Southampton came another grouch. His side performed well, scoring the only goal through a beautifully placed Marcos Alonso free-kick and only the reflexes of Fraser Forster spared Southampton further punishment.
Certainly, Conte does not appear to have the problems of Southampton counterpart Mauricio Pellegrino. The Argentine dropped Virgil van Dijk to the bench amid the latest swirl of speculation around the Dutchman’s future. Manchester City and Liverpool remain keen to sign him.
Southampton insist he will not be sold but another month of discontent is on the horizon. Southampton also privately backed Pellegrino despite only two wins in 13 Premier League games.
Pellegrino’s side are now three points above the drop zone and midfielder Oriol Romeu said: ‘We don’t want to be (in the dogfight) but if we don’t win games, we will be. That’s the reality. We have to face that.’
Yet afterwards it was Conte doing most of the grumbling. This time, he was frustrated by reports suggesting that Carlo Ancelotti will be asked to return to Stamford Bridge next season and step into his role.
For those who observe Chelsea closely, a consensus has developed that Conte may leave this all behind at the end of the season. Inter Milan seem interested in hiring the former Italy coach, and Real Madrid may be another option if Zinedine Zidane’s league season derails further.
‘I deserve a bit of respect for what I did last season,’ Conte said. ‘For what I am doing this season. To read every week, “Next season the club contacts this coach or this coach”. For me this is not a problem. But it can create problems with the players, because the players believe we could start apart.’
So, do you want to stay, Antonio? ‘Yes, but I have another year on my contract. So in this moment my focus is total for Chelsea, to improve my players, to try to improve the club.
‘If you understand a bit of football there is a moment you must have great patience, to know that someone is working very well.’
For all his protestations, this whinge was justified. Conte has done remarkable work at Chelsea. He has taken a side from the depths of mid-table despair to the title.
This season may have started dreadfully but it is now eight wins and a draw from the last 10 in the Premier League. His team are capable of wonderful displays, beating Tottenham, Atletico Madrid and Manchester United this season. Hazard and Alvaro Morata are magnificent in tandem and Conte’s Chelsea play bolder football than Jose Mourinho teams.
Yes, Conte is flawed. Diego Costa was mischief-making last summer when he declared Conte lacked Mourinho’s charisma, but several players believe Conte could be a warmer character. The David Luiz situation appears to be a melting pot of trouble and Conte should be doing more to keep Willian happy. It is little wonder Mourinho enquired about his availability after the Brazilian started one Premier League game in two months before this past week.
The truth, however, is that there will always be fraying around the edges when a man is so driven, so repulsed by failure and so desperate for his next fix of winning. The more we see of Conte, the more we recognise the thirst for control and power. We know he did not see eye to eye with Michael Emenalo, the club’s technical director in charge of transfer policy, before the Nigerian’s departure last month. Yet Conte is worth the trouble for Chelsea. He is not a wrecking ball. He adds far more than he takes from this club. He is building a young and hungry team and he should be the man who sees it through. Next summer will be complicated. The World Cup, combined with the transfer deadline moving to early August, will make deals more awkward. Forward planning is needed.
The clubs who perform best next season will be those whose deals are done in all but signature by April or May. Chelsea’s business has been late and clumsy during the last two summers. The manager in place in the spring must be the manager in place in the summer.
At Chelsea, the manager is often a hired gun. The moment he craves more control is normally the moment he is removed. Yet if Chelsea’s model depends on trophies and success, consistency and continuity is needed now more than ever. Who on the market could possibly be an instant improvement on Conte?
So, it may be an imperfect marriage, but if Chelsea harbour any aspirations of wrestling back the Premier League crown from Manchester City next season, Conte simply must remain.