Amid the excitement of the World Cup, Chelsea’s attempts to move the club on from the debacle Antonio Conte created throughout last season, unsurprisingly, came in for some serious criticism. As ever, it was those at the top who were vilified the most.
With Roman Abramovich fighting his own personal exile battles with the UK government and Antonio Conte sitting tight, Napoli played hardball when negotiating the release of the Russian’s target manager, Maurizio Sarri. With none of the upper echelons of the Premier League having much to shout about transfer-wise, Chelsea – as ever – drew the most media attention. Eden Hazard, Willian and Thibaut Courtois racked up column inches whilst every available player is inexorably linked with the Blues.
Chelsea’s season of discontent looked to be heading into the summer break.
It’s a familiar tale, and a chip most Chelsea supporters (or fans – let’s not argue they’re different) are well used to shouldering. Rival supporters run these ditties on a loop: i) Chelsea have no history, let’s not go there, they do, bucket loads; ii) Chelsea brought all their trophies with Russian money, to a degree, yes, but all football teams who have won the top tier of English football will have spent big somewhere along the lines. In fact, that’s the case in all major football leagues across the world. Chelsea were winning trophies before Roman Abramovich came along.
Returning to the top of the article and Mister Antonio Conte. In his first season in England, make no mistake, Conte was a revelation and a joy to behold. He turned a bunch of power-crazed players, worn down by their previous manager, into an outfit that went on to lift the Premier League title. He worked in a manner that endeared him with Chelsea FC as a whole, fans included. Sadly, it all went wrong in season two.
His undoing of the good he did in 2016/17 last season was unfathomable in many ways. Of course, the club did not deliver his target signings. They were intent on a frugality seldom seen at Stamford Bridge.
However, this Jekyll and Hyde transformation by Conte was difficult and upsetting for the faithful to accept. How could the effervescent Italian morph so quickly? Make no mistake though. Conte’s downfall, when it came, was of his own volition. The breakdown in communication between board members and some of his players was borderline childish.
Antonio Conte was being paid to manage a football team on behalf of its custodians: the fans or, depending on where you’re sitting, the supporters. In that, he failed in his difficult second season. You could argue an FA Cup win and qualification for the Europa League was not a total failure. What stung the support base was the manner of some of those defeats, particularly in the big games. All that suffering without the ball left supporters scratching their heads.
In what became an unedifying display of petulance, he moaned and groaned his way through the whole campaign, bringing the position of manager into serious disrepute. The amazing thing was he hung on to his job throughout that arduous campaign. Even stranger he was still there into the final season of his contract, albeit by just one week. Not for the first time, Chelsea looked like a club in disarray.
Coming into the new season Roman Abramovich and his cohorts on the board are stumbling to where they want to be. Pre-season is underway, Conte has now gone and Maurizio Sarri is finally in place. Significantly, Jorginho joined well before the August 9 transfer deadline day, albeit as part of the Sarri deal. More recently, the obligatory third-choice keeper, Rob Green, is on board. He boosts the club’s homegrown quota with an experienced English keeper.
As Sarri studies the players he has, those who Conte alienated will be re-integrated into nuovo Italian’s favoured 4-3-3 formation. David Luiz, last season’s fall-guy, should be clear of the niggling injuries which kept him sidelined, coincidentally, following the critique of his former boss’s methodology.
The predicted departure by the masses of Eden Hazard may well be wide of the mark. He suffered endlessly without the ball last season and, at times, featured as the lone striker. With two seasons remaining on his contract Chelsea have no need to sell, Hazard has said he’s happy, end of story. The installation of Sarri in the hot seat will see Hazard played to his strengths. Why would he leave?
As for Willian and Thibaut Courtois, it’s the toss of a coin as to whether they stay or go. However, if Courtois gets his wish to return to Madrid an able replacement must be found.
Youth players like Callum Hudson-Odoi have a chance of breaking through into the senior side. The young loanees who experienced Premier League game time last season could also find themselves better placed for a shot at Blues stardom. To Conte’s credit, he at least brought Andreas Christensen into the starting XI and also gave sporadic chances to some of the others. It will be Sarri’s job to continue that process.
At least one of last season’s signings could make an impact. Ross Barkley has returned to full fitness and, off the back of a decent pre-season, he could finally make the grade after his career was so nearly derailed following injury and poor management at Everton. If Sarri gets his arm around the Englishman and gets him on board with all he’s trying to achieve, Chelsea’s midfield will only strengthen.
The social media pessimism of a month ago is now being superseded by a rejuvenated optimism as the new domestic season approaches. The anti-Chelsea brigade won’t like it, and why would they? What if the unthinkable happens and Sarri gets Conte’s band of ne’er-do-wells ticking in the way Conte himself did to Jose Mourinho’s mavericks back in 2016/17?
It’s food for thought for those who so despise Chelsea. Let’s hope it leaves a bitter taste in their mouths.