This can be a lonely job
PREMIER LEAGUE SUNDAY CRUNCH PEP KNOWS HOW CONTE IS FEELING
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PEP GUARDIOLA knows what Antonio Conte is going through as the Chelsea boss endures a miserable title defence.
But the ruthless Spaniard will not let that stop him from inflicting more pain on his rival tomorrow. Conte needs a trip to the Etihad to take on the Manchester City juggernaut like a hole in the head. The sharp-suited Italian was dressed to kill last season as he led the Blues to the title in his first season in English football. But Conte has suffered a humiliating fall from grace this time round to find himself clinging to his job at Stamford Bridge. Last week’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United further piled the pressure on Conte, who must now return to the same city to face Guardiola’s formidable champions-in-waiting.
Pressure
The City boss believes Conte will feel alone. And that’s a feeling he knows only too well himself after a difficult first campaign in English football last time round. But there will be no sympathy when City host the Blues looking to take another step towards succeeding them as champions.
Guardiola admits that reputations don’t last long in football, saying: “Last season I had the pressure. People said: ‘What is he doing, this guy, with those beliefs?
“He’s coming here to play with those beliefs, that guy’. So with Manchester City in the position that we are, it’s always the same.
“It’s happening to Arsenal too, but it could happen to me.
“I don’t understand ever when managers come here and criticise other managers, as we are alone.
“We feel alone when the situation is not good. I would like to protect them more in these situations.
“But, of course, we want to beat them.
“I want to beat Arsenal and all of them, and they want to beat me.
“In football, we know that. If we don’t win, what we have done in the past, it does not really matter.”
Guardiola insists Conte is a top manager and that English football would miss him if he leaves Stamford Bridge.
But at the same time, he turned the screw on the former Juventus boss by singing the praises of former Barcelona chief Luis Enrique, who has emerged as the red-hot favourite to replace Conte at the Blues in the summer.
Guardiola added: “Antonio is the manager for that, he can speak about that (his future).
“Antonio is the manager of Chelsea and what Antonio has done here in the Premier League, maybe people don’t realise.
“He introduced another way to attack, with five at the back, another system, a lot of teams, even Arsenal, had to do a lot of imitating to do that.
“Every manager has his own situation, so I cannot judge the other ones. He did an amazing job last season to adapt and all that.
“Tactically he is a master, he did it amazingly with the national team with Italy and when he went to Turin (with Juventus).
“I think that Conte is going to give something to English football whenever he leaves. I’m sure of that.
“Luis Enrique is one of the best, best, best managers.
“I know him very well. He is a friend of mine. I know he can do whatever he wants.”