Chelsea have been a shadow of their former selves – but what has caused this decline?
Conte has gone from winning the Premier League title in his debut season to praying for a miracle to secure his side’s European berth. Not long ago, he introduced English football to his refreshingly Italian system of five at the back, emphasising full-backs as an essential part of midfield. This season has gone from bad to worse for the The Blues as they’ve suffered defeat at the hands of their main rivals. Man United, Man City, and even Tottenham – who had not won at Stamford Bridge for decades – were triumphant. Now, Chelsea find themselves struggling to return to the Champions League next season and may have to settle for Europa League football. Conte has fallen out with the board and is expected to leave at the end of the season for greener pastures. Here are the five reasons why Chelsea’s title defence has gone so wayward this season:
1) Defensive Tactics
Although former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who won three Premier League titles with Chelsea, may be blamed for parking the bus with Manchester United, it is Chelsea who have the least goals scored in England in the 2017-18 Campaign. With just 60 goals scored in 35 matches, their tally is seven less than Manchester United and city-rivals Arsenal, and a staggering 42 goals behind champions Man City. It’s no surprise then that they’re 27 points behind the Citizens. When asked about his defensive tactics against Man United, Conte explained:
“You criticize Wenger a lot because they concede three goals. I think the pundits have to use their head when they talk about tactics.”
This answer clearly sums up his terrible approach to such an important game.
Against Man City, even though they were a goal behind and crucially needed points, Conte decided to make his team sit back and let Guardiola’s side knock the ball around. Conte was more concerned about playing it safe than taking the necessary risks.
2) Bad Transfer Business
From the days of Mourinho, Chelsea have boasted world-class strikers like Didier Drogba and Diego Costa. Conte, however, has not been efficient in picking the man to lead his forward-line. The Italian could argue that the Chelsea board did not sign the players he desired, but spending €250 million in the summer was by no means a small outlay. Selling one of your best players to your greatest rivals in the form of Matic was daft, as was selling last season’s top scorer and only informing him over text message. Conte did bring in Drinkwater and Bakayoko to strengthen the Midfield, but he has scarcely used them. Alvaro Morata was brought in after a productive season with Real Madrid for €66 million – only to falter after his early goal-scoring form.
Álvaro Morata has now gone 10 games without scoring his longest run since 2015/16 for Juventus where he went 27 games without scoring.
Not going for him. pic.twitter.com/3qr629UsDo
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 25, 2018
When you spend that amount on a striker, you ought to show trust and confidence in him – but Conte went out and signed Oliver Giroud in the winter transfer window, much to the dismay of Morata. Instead of Giroud, the entry of a proven striker like Icardi or Aubameyang would have helped next season. Emerson and Zappacosta were signed to strengthen the full-back positions, only to have them play second fiddle to Moses and Alonso. Winter signing Ross Barkley from Everton has also failed to improve as the only noticeable transfer has been Antonio Rüdiger from AS Roma, who has strengthened the team’s defence.
3) Eden Hazard
One of the biggest reasons for Conte’s failure this season is his misuse of Chelsea fan-favourite Eden Hazard, who is also undoubtedly their best player. Since losing confidence in marquee signing Alvaro Morata, Conte has preferred not to play with a striker – as we saw against Barcelona in the Champions League Round of 16. The one man who has suffered most with this decision is the team’s chief playmaker. The Italian manager has often used Hazard as a number 9 instead of playing him in his favoured attacking midfield and left-wing positions, making him anonymous in important matches. Hazard has delayed talks over his contract extension and if somehow Conte manages to stay, Hazard could see his future somewhere else, with the Bernabéu his likeliest destination. Playing in the forward role against Man city, here’s what he had to say:
“We could have played on for three hours, but I wouldn’t have touched the ball. When the manager decides to play me a false 9, I try to do my best. But it was complicated with their pressing.”
4) Naive Substitutions
If playing your best player in the wrong position is incorrect, continually taking him off the field before the 90-minute mark is a crime. Players like Hazard, who have the ability to decide games with their individual brilliance at any moment, are supposed to complete the full-length of the game. Not only this, the Italian has also annoyed fans by waiting too long to make substitutions, even with his side trailing, often bringing in a defensive option instead of bolstering the attack.
5) Lack of attachment to the club
Tinkering with his side and formation in almost every game; bad transfer decisions; publicly criticizing the board; falling out with players like Costa and David Luiz; and continuous links with a return to Italy have made it pretty clear that Conte does not want to be in London. As a result, it wont come as a shock if Roman Abramovich grants his wish at the end of season.