Chelsea’s struggles have come from collective errors, no one person’s fault

With Chelsea underperforming and Antonio Conte’s job on the line, everyone is feeling the tension. However, this season’s troubles stem from collective errors, rather than any one person’s fault.

Since the beginning of this season, there has been tension all over and around Chelsea. And, as the season dragged on, mistakes piled up and magnified every little hiccup. However, for as much as Antonio Conte receives the blame, this has been a show of collective errors, rather than his individual fault.

First, the manager himself. Antonio Conte is a great manager. He has set the standards high for everyone, himself included. However, he is still human and far from perfect.

1. Not playing Michy Batshuayi

With Alvaro Morata struggling for form and fitness, Antonio Conte chose not play Michy Batshuayi. With this change, Chelsea lost their focal point inside the box. This has led to fewer goals and fewer wins than expected. Conte clearly did not trust Batshuayi, resulting in the loan. But the absence of a real striker on the pitch significantly affected the Blues’ season.

2. Assuming Tiemoue Bakayoko was ready for the Premier League

If there is one player Chelsea needs improvement from, it is Tiemoue Bakayoko. Although Bakayoko is a strong defensive player, his overall game is well below Chelsea standards.

Conte knew this from the beginning and played him ahead of time. To both Conte’s and Bakayoko’s credit, the first few games paid off. But it has been nothing short of a roller-coaster since then, and not a pleasant one at that.

3. Not changing the base of the formation

With key players from the 3-4-3 leaving the club or injured, Conte decided to slightly change tactics. In retrospect he should have explored other avenues.

Must Read: Chelsea buy injured players and Antonio Conte's training methods take the blame

His current favorite formation, the 5-3-2, still demands a lot of physical work from certain players, particularly the wing-backs. With a thin squad and not many options for substitutions, Conte should have opted for something more pragmatic. This resulted in a poor start to the season that has dragged on.

Second, there is the matter of the Chelsea FC board. One thing is to not buy players because of the current inflated market. Another is to buy injured players.

1. Not buying at least two players Antonio Conte requested

It should be common sense that the person training the players gets to call the shots on who to add to the squad. Obviously, this has not been the case. The board decided some players were not worth their asking price. Also, the board did not want to pay the wages or simply ignored the manager’s request. If at least two players in Conte’s list were now in the squad, things surely would be different on the pitch and in Conte’s relations with his employers.

2. Buying injured players

This so-called “new way of doing good business” by Chelsea has turned out to be an Achilles heel. With a thin squad, Conte demanded immediate solutions. Instead, the board gave him long-term projects and rehab cases. Although the players themselves are promising, they did not provide the solution Conte needed for the short-term. Rather, they simply added more work.

3. Not buying world-class players

The current inflated market is difficult to match, even for the likes of Roman Abramovich. However, buying run-of-the mill players with the hope of making them world-class is not the answer. Especially not if the team hopes to compete against Barcelona in the Champions League.

One or two world-class signings would have been ideal for Antonio Conte and his tactics. Nevertheless, this was not the case and, as result, other teams have taken advantage.

With all that said, Antonio Conte received some positive additions to the team in the January transfer window. This should give him and the team the motivation and fire-power to turn things around for what remains of the season.

Next: Predicted XI vs. West Brom: Olivier Giroud ends the false-nine

Chelsea play against West Brom and then Hull City before the big clash against Barca. Antonio Conte will be looking to win the next two fixtures in order to get the team in good form for the Champions League.