Winning is the normal state of being for Chelsea and Antonio Conte, reflecting the level of excellence expected of both. Conte needs to hold Diego Costa to an equivalently high standard.
Diego Costa has kept his place in Antonio Conte’s lineup despite a prolonged drop in form and a return of his worst attitude and behavioural problems. The Spanish striker has not scored in four Premier League games, and is all but eliminated from the Golden Boot chase. Eden Hazard and Marcos Alonso each have more goals in 2017 than Costa.
Conte is uncharacteristically tolerant of Diego Costa. Conte’s history as a manager reveals someone who demands equal measures of footballing output and team-oriented attitude. Moreover, Diego Costa is not meeting the individual expectations of a player at a club with a tradition of winning.
"I think the difference between Chelsea and Tottenham is this: if you stay in Chelsea and win, it’s normal. If you stay in Tottenham, if you win, it’s great but, if you lose… it’s not a disaster, no? Not a disaster. – Yahoo Sports"
Players like Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and John Terry forged those expectations over years of sustained success as individuals and as a club. Fans could forgive temporary dips in form precisely because they were so rare. More importantly, those players never petulantly lashed out at the club about transfer wishes or living situations. Chelsea could count on them to play for the shirt every single game.
Costa evinces little desire to emulate the loyalty, consistency or output of those Blues legends. To an extent that is understandable given the high bar they set. Every player brings his own set of motivations and ambitions. What is not understandable, though, is why Antonio Conte tolerates it for a moment, let alone the entire second half of the season.
"Antonio Conte, of all people, should be holding Diego Costa to that standard. If you’re not scoring as Chelsea’s striker, that is on you. That is not acceptable, because Tottenham’s striker is scoring. Arsenal’s striker is scoring, and they’re going to be knocking on Chelsea’s door for the next couple of years. – George Perry, The Blue Lions"
Conte’s permissiveness towards Costa is as incomprehensible as his callousness towards Michy Batshuayi. Batshuayi is not even Conte’s only possible replacement. Eden Hazard could play as a false-nine striker for the balance of the season, flanked by Willian and Pedro, and Chelsea would be the better for it.
Earlier in the season, Costa was scoring regularly and his attitude was in abeyance. Conte appeared to have reformed Costa and the two were developing a productive relationship. Overlooking his latent faults was understandable if not advisable when he was at least doing his job on the pitch. Conte, perhaps recognizing in Costa the untamed passion of his younger self, may have felt he could harness Costa.
Instead, Costa’s output has plummeted and has character has regressed since the January rumours of a massive transfer offer from China. He has reverted to committing and seeking fouls in equal measure. He is back to making statements about his continued desire to leave Chelsea and England.
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Chelsea – from the other players to the fans to Roman Abramovich – deserve better than what Diego Costa is giving the club. Antonio Conte can no longer be remiss in his duty to hold Costa to the standards of the Chelsea way.