Our current front page poll asks whether Antonio Conte should simply just go, one way or another. As it stands the answer is an overwhelming No! That despite there being very few supporters on any of the current post match articles.
Having slept on the defeat and read and heard numerous opinions I remain perplexed as to what was going on up in Manchester yesterday afternoon. I`ve no doubt you seen it, there`s a clip doing the rounds on social media, of City passing the ball around midfield and Chelsea players simply strolling around disinterested. Copyright issues prevent me from linking it.
This is walking football, Barclays Bank supports it, it`s to get over 50`s fit. Have Chelsea succumbed to this? Is this the players supporting the manager, and applying his tactics or have they just given up. I can`t tell what`s actually going on here. What I can tell though, is that something is not right. I don`t recognise the team I support in this clip. Maybe someone else can explain it.
I think Antonio Conte has been let down by the Chelsea hierarchy in terms of transfers. But where he culpable, in my opinion, is in his decision to to let it get the better of him. His continual griping about a situation he clearly feels aggrieved about has dragged the team down this season.
To not play a striker when one is available, for me, beggars belief. Whatever could Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud have been thinking sitting on the bench during yesterday`s game. I would imagine they didn`t feel that special. That undermining by the manager has been reflected throughout the team in some recent performances.
While we, as supporters, can berate the owner and directors of the club, and they too are culpable here, the way the players go about their job on the pitch is down to the manager.
I’m not interested in Conte’s excuse that you can’t go gung-ho at City, although Liverpool did, and hope to get a result. Fans want to see passion on the field, the showing Chelsea put on yesterday was simply embarrassing.
Roman Abramovich has a responsibility to support the manager financially. The manager has a responsibility to employ the right tactics and instill into his players the belief that they can win. The players have a responsibility to put those tactics into action on the field of play and give their all for the badge on their shirt.
They all have a responsibility to the Chelsea supporters. They were all abject failures yesterday, they let the fans down, they let the club’s name down but most of all, and it’s a cliche of the highest order, they let themselves down.
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