Have Italian’s players thrown in the towel?

IT LOOKS like Antonio Conte has lost the dressing room. Against Watford, I saw none of the intensity or game management that you would associate with this Chelsea team. You wonder if the players have thrown in the towel. There is a feeling coming from the manager that the new signings are not his own. He was very noncommital when talking about Emerson Palmieri, the left back Chelsea signed from Roma last week. When a manager does not appear to have confidence in his recruits, it becomes difficult for the existing players to respect him.

Chelsea supporters love Conte, particularly for the way he has tried to take on the club. But his public bickering and jostling for power have clearly affected the players on the pitch. It seems the players can sense Conte is on borrowed time. They know there is a more powerful person than their manager who is willing to make a change.