Chelsea FC are in a precarious position. With the club rocked by a number of injuries to top players and a genuine need to dig deep to find a solution, Chelsea’s current batch of stars have shown their true colors once again.
Chelsea FC’s biggest problem is very simple: the character of their players. They have enough money. They have a committed owner. They have a world class coach and a fantastic group of supporters. The club, though, is seemingly cursed with the world’s most unaccountable group of players.
Reports this week said Chelsea players are blaming Antonio Conte’s training for their recent form, despite the fact that they have not played well in any of the last three matches. Apparently it is their belief that Antonio Conte trained them too hard.
Say nothing of the fact that his methods worked at Juventus for three straight years, in which time they won the league and showed steady Champions League improvement. He then took his methods to the Italian national team. No, it must obviously be Conte and not the players who are the problem.
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Chelsea players have an incredibly high ceiling for their talent that will go forever unrealized if they continue in this manner. This is not exactly a group of players renowned for their professionalism. Thibaut Courtois, for one, is a regular member of the London party circuit. England great Alan Shearer called the team out for mucking up the FA Cup Final because they had been out being professional in the nights before.
If the Chelsea players are suffering then they should buckle down and endure. They should conquer their demons and put in the “work, work, work,” as Conte says, to realize their potential and get out of this bad moment. That they are already – in October! – beginning to complain and look for excuses shows that they have learned absolutely nothing and matured nil.
It’s disappointing that Chelsea have this continuing problem with player power. The players and club will never go as far as they should if they do not stick together and get their heads down. This early-season break is a sad signifier of their lack of mental fortitude.
Roman Abramovich is a smart, tough and collected businessman. Hopefully he recognizes the lack of maturity and accountability, and squashes it once and for all. Antonio Conte is the right man to do it, and Abramovich should allow him to get on with getting it done.
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It is a true shame that in the first test of the season Chelsea’s players are already buckling. Shame.