Conte says Chelsea need more players
Antonio Conte has warned he believes his campaign will be “the most difficult” of his managerial career, as he again conspicuously stressed Chelsea need to sign more players for what is a “small squad”.
Conte also pintedly admitted for the first time that they had got someway lucky with injuries last season. The Italian said there were “many reasons” for that strong admission and, having rejected the idea one was extra pressure because they must now defend the title, appeared to be using it to applying extra pressure on the club board for reinforcements in a campaign when there is also the extra front of the Champions League.
Chelsea have currently made just four new signings in Alvaro Morata, Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko and back-up goalkeeper Willy Caballero while letting up to eight first-team squad members go to other clubs or on loan, and a frustrated Conte said the hierarchy are well aware of the need to act. He wants to bring in four more players, including two wing-backs, another centrehalf and a stand-in striker. The manager›s admission certainly seemed connected to that.
“For sure, for me, it will be the most difficult season of my career,” the Italian said ahead of his side’s Community Shield match against Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday. “I’m sure about this. It will be the most difficult of my career as a coach.
“For many reasons. It’s very difficult. I haven› t a lot of time to explain a lot of these reasons. But I’m sure about this… that next season will be very tough - the most difficult of my career. I have this perception and I hope I’ve made a mistake.”
Conte had already told broadcast media how he had discussed the need for much more strength in depth with the board, stating “it›s important for me that the club knows my opinion about the number we need”. He went into more detail later, as the issue of signings heavily occupied his thoughts with less than four weeks now until the end of the window.
“This is the reality, no?” Conte said. “We have a small squad… Everyone can see the situation, not because the coach shouts, ‘I want this’, or, ‘I want this’. The situation is very clear. We are trying to improve the situation but, for me and for my players, the best way now is to be focused on the pitch, to work, to try to improve and don›t think of the other situation,” Conte added. THE INDEPENDENT