Antonio Conte and Chelsea: A mismatch that is not supposed to work

As an effervescent, yet undignified Dele Alli made his way through the Chelsea box to score a second goal inside four minutes, one could see numerous heads down at Stamford Bridge. For then it was almost decided that Chelsea aren’t going to play in the UEFA Champions League next season. Their performance this season was hardly inspiring but the charm of Champions League football will surely be missed if the club fails to qualify for the competition next season.

Chelsea have endured an underwhelming season this time around, and the effects that it could have would be disastrous. For a club failing to break into the top four this season, the squad boasts a plethora of excellent talent. Right from Thibaut Courtois at the back, to Eden Hazard in attack, Chelsea have players who can take the pitch by storm on any given day.

Courtois has been amongst the best goalkeepers in Europe ever since his Atletico Madrid days. Similarly, the backline possesses an amalgamation of experience and young homegrown talents in Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen. N’golo Kante, Cesc Fabregas and a host of other squad players make up for an extremely enticing squad that should be in the title contention in the Premier League almost every season.

Since the past few years, however, the Chelsea squads have been terribly inconsistent, and one wonders what the reasons could be. They have failed to defend their title regularly, and it often seems that overconfidence combined with lethargy and complacency overcomes them during title-retention seasons.

For a club still looking to glorify its European status, Chelsea need to rope in better consistency on their part.

Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League

They need to win titles, defend them with pride, and then pile on trophies to be considered seriously on the European front. Make no mistake, they are the last English club to have won the Champions League, but their recent outings haven’t been convincing.

All of that seemed to change when Antonio Conte took over the realms and transformed Chelsea to a tactically adept, intelligent team, capable of winning trophies at all fronts. Conte is a tactical genius and did transform this Chelsea squad to a prolific unit on the field last season, however, the fact that he was unable to replicate the same success this season means that the drawbacks would become even more apparent gradually.

Last time around, Chelsea were more cohesive and intact on the field. The manager led the charge in style and there was a demeanor surrounding the Italian that only a certain Jose Mourinho possesses.

With arrogance, pride, confidence and the ability to back his words, Conte looked like the perfect solution for Chelsea’s long-term managerial woes. Contrastingly, if there has been one glitch in the Italian gaffer, it has been the vulnerability to surrender himself in front of the media quite easily.

Watford v Chelsea - Premier League

He is a very emotional person, and does not hide his happiness, neither his animosity from the people. To succeed consistently at the big stage, though, you need to regularly take a step back and control your nerves, instead of revealing your deepest inhibitions to the people. The art of playing with the media was surely something that Conte didn’t learn. Maybe, his arrogance towards possessing an astute football brain restrained him from engaging with the dark arts of managerial qualities.

Both Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, undoubtedly the greatest managers of this generation have played with the media to buy time. Pep regularly complained about the double cup competitions in England, as well as about something as petty as the second ball clearance during his first season in English football.

Jose has been the master of playing dark games with the media ever since his Porto days and one can argue that it has always bought him time at any given club. Conte, on the other hand, regularly showcased his weaker side to the media, and persistently complained about lack of funds to improve his squad.

He blamed the club for not consulting him while buying players, and also made known his unhappiness over releasing players. It is well known that the Italian gaffer has been displeased with the club’s transfer policy and would definitely desire a bigger budget and more freedom. Though, when you are at a club like Chelsea, adapting yourself to the demands of the board is paramount.

Only Jose managed to have a better respect and authority over the board. Eventually, even his powers died down and the higher echelons of the club’s board emerged victors during the Portuguese manager’s last season. Roman Abramovich always wants to maintain a stronghold over the manager and the players.

His philosophy of constant pressure entrusted upon his manager and players has resulted in trophies in the past. A strong character and a bigger personality is requires to sustain the pressure that comes with the Chelsea job. The ability to ward off criticism, and to work with the given budget and squad is needed to increase one’s stay at Stamford Bridge.

Conte has done little to convince the board, that they can trust him to continue with his job without meddling with their philosophies. It is safe to say that winning the Premier League title requires talent but defending it demands character and patience. The current manager seems to lack that in abundance.