BRIDGE BATTLE

Conte is fighting for survival at Chelsea

ANTONIO dined with Claudio Ranieri two weeks ago while the Nantes boss was in London for the FIFA awards. Ranieri is one of the few fellow managers Conte would count as a friend and they compared notes and caught up with Ranieri’s progress in France since he was sacked by Leicester last year, having won the Premier League in 2016.

So it was natural to wonder whether Ranieri had taken time to warn Conte just what happens to managers who dare to win the English Premier League. Not just Ranieri. Jose Mourinho lasted seven months after his 2015 win, Manuel Pellegrini managed 12 months after his 2014 win and Sir Alex Ferguson retired after his 2013 win.

‘I have to keep my fingers crossed!’ said Conte in response to the inquiry. Certainly he is displaying none of the signs of a man who fears his job is in danger. Owner Roman Abramovich was at the training ground last week, but it was prior to the 3-0 mauling in Rome and it was said to be one of his amicable visits.

The team meeting after the Roma calamity was a more difficult day at Cobham and as ferocious as it has been under Conte. There was no hiding from his anger. ‘He killed the players,’ said one source. Those who work closely with Conte simply steer clear of him for a day or two after a defeat like that. The manager himself admits he is not polite company in those circumstances.

As to whether Chelsea and Conte are at breaking point, it is probably too early to call definitively. They clearly stand at a fork in the road: one narrow route leads to redemption and another, broader, well-trod path leads to a familiar end. Think Carlo Ancelotti’s 2010-11 season and the drawn-out departure having won the Premier League and FA Cup double just a year before.

Certainly in August it seemed Chelsea and Conte were heading for divorce. Those who speak with the board at Chelsea say they did little to hide their irritation at Conte and his constant complaints over the transfer strategy. One board member was furious and the impression was that, having attempted to take on Roman Abramovich’s representatives, Conte would eventually pay with his job.

Since then, tempers have calmed somewhat. And if Chelsea need reminding of what a troublesome manager really looks like, they need only look across to the opposition bench today. Conte was explosive on Thursday in the team meeting but his anger passes. Whereas some felt that Mourinho would hold grudges, and deliberately criticise one player to get at another, Conte’s team meetings are cathartic.

He will take an individual player into his office and spend half an hour going through his game. But once the anger has been expressed, it is forgotten. It didn’t always feel that way with Mourinho.

Conte’s agenda is fairly clear now. Indeed, on Friday he spelt it out unambiguously: the Chelsea he inherited from Mourinho needed a massive reboot. And it will takes a number of years to reach the level where they are potential European champions.

Essentially Conte wants the board to know that last year’s title win was a massive overachievement given the increased competitiveness of the Premier League and the state of his squad. Indeed, Conte compares it to the Leicester miracle.

‘I said a lot of times that last season we won the title and reached the FA Cup final with only 13 players, only 13 players played regularly,’ said Conte.

‘Last season was a miracle. It was a miracle, because we had the same players that the season before finished 10th. OK, our transfer market was with Batshuayi, Luiz, Kante and Alonso.

‘But if I don’t remember badly, you [the media] were the first to say Chelsea is prepared [in 201617] to become worse than the previous season. I remember the headlines. I have to say when I make mistakes, but also you have to do the same.

‘Don’t forget that in the last four, five years we lost a lot of important players for Chelsea: Drogba, Cech, Lampard, Terry, Ivanovic, Mikel. Matic was last season. But I’m talking about players that wrote history in this club, because they played for many years and they played Champions League semi-finals, finals.

‘Now we are restarting to build something important, to try to put the club again to be able to face this type of situation.

‘We must be ready to do something special. But we must be realistic and to understand that we are building, we are creating a base. We are creating a foundation. In this season we bought five new players and we have 16 senior players.’

‘Leicester did a great miracle, because to win when usually you are used to fighting relegation is a miracle, a big miracle. I think Claudio did a fantastic job, an incredible achievement.

‘At the same time, you have to understand there are different miracles that are the same miracles. For Chelsea, who are used to winning the league in the past, also you have to understand when you win the league, what time is a good time to win the league or when it is a surprise.

‘And if this is a surprise [last season] it means you are doing a miracle. I think last season was a miracle for us. Chelsea’s name sometimes covers the miracle, only because your name is Chelsea. When you finish 10th you have the opposite of the miracle.