DEJA BLUE

Conte’s difficult second season shows worrying parallels with Jose’s ... and we all know how that ended

HE will suggest it is business as usual when he has his say later this week.

Yet the parallels to the Mourinho season Antonio Conte continues to dread are there for all to see.

Two years ago the club allowed an important player, Petr Cech, to join Arsenal.

This month even Manchester United fans could not believe Nemanja Matic was allowed to strengthen their midfield.

In 2015 Jose Mourinho appeared to be at Stamford Bridge for the long haul when he committed himself to a new deal.

Conte too has penned fresh terms as a reward for winning the league.

Two years ago Mourinho moaned publicly about the club’s dealings in the transfer market, particularly after failing to land top target, John Stones.

Conte was left fuming at being beaten to the man he wanted most, Romelu Lukaku, by United.

Under Mourinho Chelsea were beaten in the Community Shield by Arsenal two years ago before failing to win his opening game. They were then plunged into a legal battle with Dr Eva Carneiro. Conte is still reeling from Saturday’s shock defeat at home to Burnley after surrendering the Shield to the Gunners.

Despite his bid to put his title-winning Spain striker behind him, the Italian has also been sucked into an even more vicious legal fight with Diego Costa.

Even worse for Conte is Costa’s hint that some of the Chelsea players are sympathetic to his frustration at being exiled.

It was in December 2015 Roman Abramovich pulled the trigger on Mourinho, the serial winner he’d been so desperate to keep, in order to save a club that had been plummeting down the table.

In November 2012 Roberto Di Matteo also went despite winning the Champions League five months earlier. Make no mistake, Chelsea’s billionaire owner will do it again if Conte is unable to steady the ship.

It is the reason why Costa’s explosive version of events this week could not have come at a worse time for the Italian.

Conveniently forgetting his own persistent attempts to force a move back to Atletico

Madrid last summer, the Spain striker is using Conte – and Chelsea – for target practice. The champions continue to insist Conte made it clear to Costa in January he could go in the summer. Costa doesn’t see it that way and has reopened an old wound at precisely the wrong time for a club that appear not to know how to handle him.

Chelsea say legal proceedings prevent them from speaking about the issue. Costa is singing like a canary.

Cesar Azpilicueta has added to the concerns of skipper Gary Cahill, calling for more signings. Chelsea fans must be wondering: Why always them? It wouldn’t matter so much if they had maintained the great run that ended with the Premier League title.

Instead, ill-discipline cost them in the FA Cup and, to a lesser extent, the Community Shield. It struck again against Burnley with Cahill and Cesc Fabregas banned for Sunday’s showdown with Spurs.

Eden Hazard is missing while £40million midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko is an outside shout for a place on the bench at best.

Good luck against a Spurs side who HAVE carried on where they left off in May.

Chelsea appear to have gone backwards after a title win that promised to much.

For Conte the pressure is now on at a club that should have deja vu as their motto.