Falling out with the Board and owner
Antonio Conte could perhaps have done himself good by not being so vocal about his dissatisfaction with the board’s decisions. It started last summer when he expressed dissatisfaction over the board’s transfer policy.
It was a shambolic transfer window for Chelsea and especially on the last day, they had to deal with Ross Barkley, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Conte’s former pupil Fernando Llorente turning them down.
Even earlier, Chelsea were tipped to sign Romelu Lukaku before Manchester United hijacked that deal. However, instead of holding back and avoiding further run-ins with the board, Conte missed a trick and went on to say that the recruitment policy entirely rests with the club’s executivesincluding director Marina Granovskaia.
Conte had said, “I think the club decide our transfer market. As I said before, my task is to try to improve the transfer market, from the summer, the club decides every player.”
Poor Transfer business
Some of Chelsea’s transfer business have been baffling. Their midfield thrived last season when Matic and Kante were on sweeping duties in midfield. The duo formed a formidable partnership and contributed immensely towards Chelsea’s Premier League triumph.
But in the summer transfer window of 2017, Chelsea okayed Matic’s sale to Manchester United. Not only were they sending away one of the most pivotal players in the team, they were also making Manchester United, a title rival, stronger.
They bought Danny Drinkwater, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Ross Barkley to fill that void and none of them has impressed this season. Missing out on Romelu Lukaku meant that Chelsea have had to do with Alvaro Morata.
Though Morata started strongly, his form has dwindled since while Lukaku has been going from strength to strength at Old Trafford.
Mourinho feud
When things started getting heated between Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, someone should have asked the Italian to not engage the Portuguese. Jose Mourinho is the master of mind games and Conte came out of it visibly distraught.
It all started when right before the season started, Conte said he wants to avoid a ‘Mourinho season’ to which the Manchester United manager responded by asking Conte to take a look at himself.
After that Mourinho was ready to give it to Conte. He said he doesn’t have to act like a clown at the touchline to prove his passion- this was clearly a swipe at Jose Mourinho. Conte said Mourinho has forgotten his past and also went on to call him ‘demenzia senile.’
Mourinho responded in kind by saying that whatever he does, he will never be suspended for match-fixing. This pretty much proved to be the last nail in the coffin.
If that wasn’t enough, Manchester United defeated Chelsea at Old Trafford in February to rub it in Conte’s face. Around this time, Chelsea’s fortunes took a huge hit and found themselves languishing in the 5th place on the table by the end of it. Mourinho has been able to keep his cocky, confident demeanour up but Conte has since looked flustered and devoid of conviction.