Chelsea: Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho send mixed signals about futures

Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho once again showed their contrasting personalities and styles after their Boxing Day matches. Both also left plenty to chew on for those trying to divine if the managers will remain at Chelsea and Manchester United next season.

Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho may just be at different stages in the process of dealing with a season that is all but over before New Year’s Eve. For two managers who are judged not by wins and qualifications but by titles, 20 match-weeks is very little time to come to grips with accepting that domestic cups, next year’s qualifications and an outside chance at the Champions League are all that remain for 2017/18.

Or, perhaps, it is simply that adversity reveals character. Antonio Conte raised a glass of champagne (possibly prosecco) to the assembled media after Chelsea’s Boxing Day win over Brighton. Mourinho, on the other hand, came ever closer to blaming the Illuminati for Manchester United’s woes after their come-from-behind draw against Burnley.

In each of their statements and overall comportment, both managers showed signs of having one foot out the door. On the other hand, they also may have been laying the groundwork for at least one more season. Both men are experienced media handlers (manipulator, in Mourinho’s case, as we say that with all due respect for his game).

Many of Antonio Conte’s recent press interactions have come across as sanguine, and at times valedictory. He is more relaxed and almost light-hearted. Part of this could be a result of no longer bearing the pressure of trying to catch Manchester City. Everyone from Roman Abramovich on down knows that is a lost cause. With that weight off his shoulders, Conte has the emotional bandwidth to be warm and charming.

But this is Chelsea. Roman Abramovich has fired managers for much less than trailing one of the greatest teams in English football history. The added stress of keeping his job – which may now entail winning multiple domestic cups and going very deep in the Champions League – should outweigh the vanished expectations of the Premier League.

Perhaps Abramovich reassured Conte in a way the Russian has not reassured any of Conte’s predecessors. Or perhaps Conte already has his resignation letter in his desk. Abramovich knows it, and they are sharing a “quit before the sack” detente.

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On the other hand, Conte could be on a charm offensive with the Chelsea media as part of building a long-term relationship with them. Conte and the press have sparred over rumours and needlessly repetitive questioning. After dismissing some of their inquiries as “bullshit” earlier in the season and the repeated involvement of Director of Communications Steve Atkins, Conte may be taking a honey-over-vinegar approach. What better way to receive positive coverage and less confrontational questions than raising a glass to your interrogators?

Up in Manchester, Jose Mourinho is seemingly burning every bridge to justify his team’s distant second-place standing. In a classic Mourinho display of no self-awareness, he pointed to the disparity in spending between the two Manchester clubs. He excoriated City for buying “full backs for the price of the strikers” while managing the club that paid £30 million for Luke Shaw.

Mourinho continued to blame his players, the weight of expectations and a “responsibility” to win that Manchester United carries but Chelsea apparently do not. The buck is stopping everywhere but the manager, setting the stage for him to leave completely innocent of whatever he leaves behind.

Then again, Mourinho is the Premier League’s master media manipulator. His dark arts in front of a microphone are as effective as those on the pitch. By making his predicament seem so bleak and so desperate, he could be setting the stage for anything to follow to look historically wonderful by comparison. If Mourinho can make a second- or third-place finish look this grim, he could force United’s board to give him what he wants for next season. If they refuse, they risk the wrath of United fans accusing the board of not backing the manager and not wanting to win. The excuses this season could be the basis of his leverage in the summer, pointing to each saying “Unless you want this again, you will do the following.”

The January transfer window will be one more opportunity to peer into the crystal ball for Chelsea and Manchester United. If the club is active and ambitious, it may be a sign they are preparing now for next season and committing to the manager via new players. If they are quiet, it may suggest the board is not interested in buying new players who the imminently incoming manager may not want.

Next: Sizing up the Premier League: Boxing Day and the 15-point rule

Or January may be furiously ambiguous or completely meaningless. That’s football for you, and that’s why we’re all here for the show.