Why don’t Chelsea put Conte out of his misery?

SO IF it is to be Luis Enrique, what are Chelsea waiting for? If, as reports suggest, Roman Abramovich has already identified the successor to Antonio Conte, and he is available, act now. Conte is unhappy, the club is unhappy, Enrique is free. Why delay?

Surely Abramovich cannot want another torturous end to another torturous managerial relationship, the slow crawl to separation, filled with a simmering brew of dissatisfaction and resentment?

Experience suggests Chelsea do not have the players for a crisis, either. If the manager goes lame, they follow. And the likelihood of Conte’s departure in the summer must be the worst-kept secret in football. He looks as if he knows it. Chelsea buy as if they know it, the media write as if they know it, and the fans bet as if they know it. Enrique is 2-1 to be the next manager of Chelsea; Conte just 13-8 not to make it to the end of the season.

So, considering we all think we know how this story ends, why not cut to the chase? There is a lot that can go wrong for Chelsea if the January slide continues, not least losing a Champions League place next season.

When the new year began, they were second in the league table, 14 points behind Manchester City but seven points clear of fifth and in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup. Now they are fourth, 18 points behind Manchester City, just two points up on fifth place and eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Arsenal.

They have played nine matches in January, winning two. They have faced Arsenal three times, drawing two and losing one, and failed to beat Norwich in normal time on two occasions. Their only league win was against Brighton and Wednesday’s 3-0 home defeat was their biggest since April 16, 2016. That, however, was against Manchester City — this was against Bournemouth.

Form of this nature has seen previous Chelsea managers ditched even if the only option was an interim replacement.

To have the former manager of Barcelona lined up and ready to go? It is surprising Abramovich has resisted temptation this far, certainly given the fractious nature of his relationship with the manager.

Conte has been talking like a man who knows he is leaving for some time now. The incessant complaining about Chelsea’s transfer policy is not the behaviour of a man seeking long-term employment.

He knows how it usually ends for Chelsea managers who do not deliver one of two big trophies and he is not going to go quietly.

Like the disgruntled employee building up for one epic farewell rant at the boss, Conte is no longer bothering to hide his feelings. No one gets a word out of Abramovich, of course, but he tends to speak through the transfer market. The interest in Andy Carroll, then Peter Crouch, was as eloquent a statement as he was going to give. Even Olivier Giroud is a one-size-fits-all signing, the type of striker who would do a serviceable job as a squad player for many coaches. His signing may even have been run by Enrique in private, who knows?

Much is made of Jose Mourinho’s difficult third seasons, but how many does Abramovich do? Mourinho is the only manager who has ever made it that far with him, and the second time he did not reach the end of the campaign.

If Conte leaves now, or at the end of this season, he will have equalled the time span of Carlo Ancelotti, who also won the title in his first year but disappointed the next. Ancelotti, however, was a diplomat by comparison. When he left, Abramovich was acting against the counsel of his board members and advisors.

The same cannot be said of Conte. It is common knowledge that he has a poor relationship with Marina Granovskaia, who handles the financial end of Chelsea’s transfer business.

Conte (left) is increasingly isolated from the executives and it is not as if the dressing room can be relied upon. For a manager in need of allies, a capitulation against Bournemouth is not a good look, and even if getting past Barcelona in the Champions League is a tall order, the fear

that Chelsea could be run down by Tottenham and expelled from the precious top four is very real.

The upcoming run of games is relatively straightforward — but then so, it was presumed, was Bournemouth at home.

From February 20 onwards, however, Chelsea play Barcelona at home, Manchester United and Manchester City away, Crystal Palace home, Barcelona away, Burnley away and Spurs home. That is the season, right there. And who knows more about Barcelona than the man who, until last May, was their manager?

It could also help Chelsea in their quest to keep Eden hazard if they set out plans early. Working with Enrique might appeal; at least it would have a more settling effect than four months of speculation.

If Enrique is the target, would he come now? he said he wanted time away after stepping down at Barcelona after three seasons. In that period, he won every trophy and was voted world coach of the year, but Barcelona takes it out of you. Pep Guardiola took a year out after leaving the Nou Camp, and if Enrique is of the same mind then Chelsea must be patient.

ThAT said, he does not appear to have been on a world tour as Guardiola was, popping up at major sporting events or in New York. Enrique has been reclusive, to the extent recent participation in a mountain-bike race — he came fourth — was treated as if he had emerged from hiding.

There could be other complications. Carlos Unzue, his No 2 and a dead-ball specialist — coincidentally rather helpful at a club where Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud are the forwards — is currently manager of Celta Vigo, who are still in the mix for at least a Europa League place. Would Enrique come without him, if Chelsea beckoned? Chances are, they could be finding out sooner rather than later.

Conte and Chelsea have not been right all season but, until now, the impact on results has been minimal. Manchester City running away with the league has hidden any number of flaws elsewhere. There was no shame in coming second, or third, to one of the greatest teams the competition has seen.

Now Chelsea are looking behind, at Tottenham in fifth, and ahead to a date with Barcelona.

Suddenly, stumbling along to the end of the season appears a rather dangerous ploy.

All good things come to an end. Conte and Chelsea haven’t been good for many months now, but if Enrique is willing, they could certainly be at an end.