CROWN ’N OUT
Antonio on the brink after going from hero to zero
ANTONIO CONTE is stuck in a job he no longer believes in at a club which no longer believes in him.
Despite Chelsea deciding not to sack Conte yesterday, it is only a matter of time before the end comes.
He thought it was over after Monday night’s 4-1 thumping at Watford, a performance easily as bad as anything seen in the final days of Jose Mourinho.
You could see it in his eyes. That haunted look of a man who knows there is no way back.
There are those inside the club who believe he has been trying to force their hand for weeks with his constant sniping at the board.
But those close to Conte deny it, and however miserable the Italian looks right now, he will have to struggle on for a while yet.
Chelsea insisted yesterday that no talks were held at board level over his future.
Owner Roman Abramovich is not in London and the club expect Conte to turn things around after a run of just two wins in 10 games during 2018.
That prospect currently looks almost impossible.
Fears
The former Juventus boss refuses to deny there has been a massive breakdown in communication and trust between him and senior figures at Stamford Bridge.
But it was the manner of his side’s limp, lifeless display at Vicarage Road which confirmed the fears of many, that Conte has lost the dressing room.
Some of his squad do not like the way he works them so hard in training, with Ross Barkley and Marcos Alonso the latest added to a list of 10 players who have suffered hamstring injuries.
There is also a feeling that his constant moaning about the size and quality of his squad has alienated some key personnel.
Tension over transfers began from the moment Chelsea’s title win was confirmed last season with star striker Diego Costa soon being shipped out.
Conte knew his squad was thin and would not be up to the extra demands of Champions League football.
But instead of the statement-making window he wanted, none of the players Chelsea ended up with were top of his wishlist. Alvaro Morata, Costa’s replacement, started well until he was sidelined by a back injury that Conte seems to wonder about.
Of their other signings, none out of Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Davide Zappacosta and Danny Drinkwater have been a great success.
Things did not get any better in January when Chelsea ended up with Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud who was only about third or fourth on the manager’s hitlist.
On top of that, the club brought in a player who had not played in eight months, in Barkley, and another in Emerson Palmieri who is coming back from a serious knee injury.
Conte believes he worked miracles to win the title last season and now he feels let down. He wanted support and feels he got none.
Chelsea think that after spending £236m since winning the Premier League title, he needs to get on with the job.
They feel he has had all the backing he needs, and with the Blues in fourth place and competing in the Champions League and FA Cup, they are willing to give him more time to fix things.
But the fact they have been sounding out possible replacements, with exBarcelona boss Luis Enrique the favourite, tells you all you need to know.
And it is hard to escape the suspicion that when the inevitable finally happens, it will come as a relief to both sides to say goodbye.