Chelsea hail ‘The Confather’
CAPE TOWN — How quickly affections can switch in soccer. Where once they would serenade coach Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge with an operatic flourish, now Chelsea fans have fallen headlong for another man driving them inexorably to the Premier League title.
To the Bridge faithful, Mourinho’s “not special any more” now he’s’s pitched up at Manchester United but their embrace for coach Antonio Conte willll be suffocating if he guides the Blues to a title-clinching victory at West Bromwichmwich Albion today.
As the arty canvasanvas held by his daughter at Monday’sy’s home victory over Middlesbrough putut it, the Italian is now already enshrinednshrined as “The Confather”r” to a happy family of ruthlessuthless operators in blue.
No wonder. Albeit a quietly charming,rming, thoughtful figure away from the pitch, on the touchlinee Conte comes across as a manic, hyperactive figuree making demands of his players that they dare not refuse. Win this game or else, his eyes scream. So don’t expect him to stop now. Conte has spent his time since the 3-0 drubbing of Middlesbrough trotting out his familiarly cautious mantra about hard work, fight and commitment still being needed to finish their efficient job. Just a “little step”, he warned softly, but “one that won’t be easy”. He hailed West Brom aas “a really good, physical team” but, of lalate, the truth is that Tony Pulis’s eighth-placedp side have looked anything but, havinghav lost four of their last five games. If Chelsea win, ththey will have an unassailable 10-poipoint lead over Tottenham Hotspur and will become English champions for a sixth time.