If the seat of Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is indeed warm, then it’s going to move to be moving towards scorching soon; at least if results like these keep up. Rumors have been swirling about the job security of Conte for some time, and last night’s 3-0 loss at AS Roma in UEFA Champions League group play certainly will not help matters.
Of course, the Blues still have a tremendous chance of advancing through to the knockout round, but it wasn’t just the result, it was the effort, or lack thereof.
If a team isn’t playing with heart and desire, then it clearly falls on the manager.
“When you lose 3-0, it means it wasn’t a good performance. Our first half was good, we created many chances to score, but to be 2-0 down was unfair,” Antonio Conte said in an interview with BT Sport after the game.”But in the second half, it was a really bad performance.”
“Roma showed more will to fight and more desire to win the game. I’m very disappointed with our second half. For this performance, we all have to take responsibility.
“When you concede three goals, you must be worried. It means something doesn’t work. It’s very difficult now, but we have to analyze the game. We need to work on the tactical aspect. We are working less on this aspect this season. We have to look at ourselves.”
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also called on his teammates, asking them to show some fight against Manchester United on Sunday, and convey that last night’s disaster was just a one-off.
Chelsea’s visit to the eternal city was a total, unmitigated disaster, and that has to be a major concern for Antonio Conte with the huge clash against Manchester United looming on Sunday.
“Tonight was a bad night for us. I only want one night like this and we must work together this week,” the Italian added.
“My task is to try to find the best solution. To try to avoid this type of game. But, for sure, we have to work together. We need to have the will, I repeat, to dig deep. If we think that only because our name is Chelsea, and the opponent have fear of the name Chelsea, this is not the right way.”
“We have to find the hunger we showed all last season and, this season, only sometimes. But this season has been up and down. If you are a great team you must have stability. You must have consistency. At this moment we are struggling a lot to find this type of balance,” Conte continued.
“Last season we showed great hunger, great will to do something important. We won the league and did a miracle. But if we want to be competitive this season we have to avoid these ups and downs. A great team must have stability and great desire to be protagonists in every game.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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