Roman Abramovich, Antonio Conte coming together on Chelsea’s situation

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and manager Antonio Conte are coming to a mutual understanding of how to rebuild Chelsea into perennial title contenders.

Perhaps Roman Abramovich is going soft as he grows older. Maybe he is so hell-bent to not repeat last season he is venturing outside his comfort zone. Whatever the reason, Chelsea’s owner is working in concert with his manager to develop a path forward for the club.

Abramovich stayed at a distance in previous crises, letting the board issue votes of confidence until the inevitable. This time, the Russian is reportedly taking a more personal and hands-on approach to his relationship with the manager. Matt Hughes of The Times reports that Abramovich and Conte have talked over lunch on three consecutive days.

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Conte appears to have convinced Abramovich that Chelsea’s failed title defence had less to do with Jose Mourinho and more to do with the players. Conte believes that many of Chelsea’s players hit their peak in the 2014/15 season. Their individual decline contributed to the club’s decline. They were unable to match the manager’s expectations or the league’s demands.

Conte also believes that the players developed too much power in the locker room. They undercut Mourinho and his predecessors, leading to each manager’s eventual sacking. Conte is determined to purge this mentality and replace it with his team-first philosophy. As he told SkySports:

"[I]f someone does not have a good attitude during the training session, or good behaviour in a different circumstances, I prefer to kill him than have 22 players… [I]f a manager closes his eyes, he does not want to see the bad situation and he loses the changing room"

Conte can do so if he can hold on to the job long enough to shift the culture. The rise of player-power was a direct and natural outgrowth of Chelsea’s managerial turnover during the Abramovich era. The players filled the vacuum created by the lack of constancy among managers. If Conte convinced Abramovich of this relationship, he not only preserves his own job but strengthens Chelsea for the long-term.

Notable in Hughes’ report is Michael Emenalo’s absence. Emenalo has been Chelsea’s one point of constancy alongside the revolving door of managers.

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Emenalo’s influence with Abramovich has grown continuously over the years. He has a significant voice – if not the final say – in most player-personnel decisions. His absence from these lunch-time meetings is encouraging given his absolute lack of a coherent strategy for Chelsea.

The last thing Chelsea needs is more palace intrigue. The owner and manager are moving towards a cooperative relationship rather than one built on suspicion and paranoia. But any time Abramovich and Conte communicate directly without the interference or undue influence of Michael Emenalo, the club is better off for it.

A collapse like the 2015/16 season was nearly inevitable given the dysfunction and systemic rot permeating Chelsea at every level. Direct communication between the owner and manager should be a given, but at Chelsea it is a novelty worth celebrating.

Roman Abramovich and Antonio Conte need to back up their words with cooperative action. If they do, the club may not just start winning again but have the makings of another dynasty.