Chelsea hindered by constant Antonio Conte uncertainty

While the results on the field have been decent, the uncertainty surrounding Antonio Conte’s future continues to loom large over Chelsea.

Chelsea put in a frankly shambolic performance on Saturday afternoon, losing to Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. The starting eleven selection was poor, the substitutions were poor and the players were poor. Having said that, the Blues have impressed this season – the win against Atletico Madrid being a particular highlight. Antonio Conte’s murky future, though, continues to cast a long shadow.

The Italian was linked with a shock exit over the summer, despite lifting the Premier League title in his first season. A lack of support from the Chelsea board was cited as the principal reason for his discontent.

Quite fortuitously, Conte’s future has been called into question again just after the City loss. The Sunday Times reveals that the boss could be on his way out at the conclusion of this campaign.

"Sources close to Antonio Conte have ­signalled his interest in leaving Chelsea at the end of this season, inviting leading Serie A clubs to bid for his services. His decision reflects the 48-year-old Italian’s long-standing dissatisfaction at the level of support he has received from Chelsea’s board."

Chelsea fans have thus far managed to ignore the backroom situation, largely due to extensive success on the field. However, the dark cloud has been lurking over Stamford Bridge and it will hinder the Blues as this campaign drags on.

Defending the title is infinitely more difficult than winning it. With a significantly heavier schedule, Chelsea will go through tough patches. Uncertainty over Conte’s future will only spark tabloid rumours that the Blues don’t need after a gutting loss.

The issue is that the situation does not seem to have a pleasant solution. Conte has dropped hints about his desire to return to Italy in the press and his reign does appear to have an expiry date. Chelsea will have simply have to find a way to deal with this almost inevitable outcome.

The fact that Conte signed a new deal in the summer is no relief either. The revised contract simply increased his wage without adding extra years onto the length. It is a question of if, not when, the Italian leaves Stamford Bridge.

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This situation is a distraction to the team and could certainly be cited as a contributing factor should Chelsea not enjoy success this season. It would probably be best for the club if Conte came out and stated his intention for next season. That would at least bring some certainty to this uncomfortable scenario.