8 hours ago, Barrettinator said:

I've really gone from being fond of this guy to hating him in a span of 6 months. His comments and his actions as well as his stubbornness are just mind boggling. I don't think he's a good fit for us at all and I'll be shocked if he's still here next season. Imo, it's a no brainer to get Jardim, even above Tuchel or anyone else. Jardim is exactly the kind of manager that will gel smoothly with this club from top to bottom. We're not changing the board anytime soon so we might as well find a manager that'll work well with them. Antonio Conte, unfortunately, is not that guy.

Hating him, seriously? The change from last season is hard to take admittedly, and he seems to overstayed his welcome, but hating him is completely over the top.

8 hours ago, Barrettinator said:

How can this be our manager???

 

Your sense of entitlement is bewildering. I'm not saying don't be ambitious but please remind me what European tournament we regularly participated in before our luck with Roman's millions.

 

2 hours ago, abister1 said:

Your sense of entitlement is bewildering. I'm not saying don't be ambitious but please remind me what European tournament we regularly participated in before our luck with Roman's millions.

 

All winners have a big sense of entitlement, the days we start being grateful for finishing outside the top 4 are the days when we accept this clubs decline.

I have no doubts in my mind that we are selfish and entitled, but that's just how it is, you can't just accept mediocrity and in our case the Europa League is mediocrity, we should be finishing top 4 at the very least with the money we have spent. 

 

On 4/6/2018 at 17:41, mclovin83 said:

Things you can't blame Conte for:

- Individual errors. It must be said there have been plenty in recent weeks; the Barca & Tottenham games probably decided by them. You are always going to get the odd mad mistake over the course of the season, but we have shot ourselves in the foot time and time again this season. I can't remember a season peppered with so many individual bollock dropping moments. 

- Injuries. Every team has them. Last season we barley had any, this season we have had plenty. We should be able to cope, but it's undeniable that it hasn't been a good season when it comes to injuries (Luiz, Morata, Barkley, Cortouis to name a few who have all missed more games than you would hope). 

- Squad Strength. I believe Conte has had input on who we sign, but not a great deal more than that. I believe our squad is a lot better than Conte (and his apologists) would have you believe, but it could be better. Unlike Pep & Mourinho, he clearly hasn't had all of his primary targets (Sandro, Llorente, Bonnuci and the like). 

Things you can blame Conte for:

- His Attitude. It stinks, and it has done for most of the season. His body language has been the worst of any manager I have ever seen in the Chelsea dugout and it's unforgivable. I have never genuinely thought that a Manager might be intentionally trying to lose games, but this season I have had to question that theory. He, at times, has looked like he genuinely couldn't give a toss (stark contract to last season when he was the other end of the spectrum). No emotion, hands in pockets, straight down the tunnel at full time regardless of result. Add his constant pissing and moaning about the board (woe is me), and his weekly reminders that his squad isn't good enough and it's no wonder there is such a dark cloud lingering over the club with non stop gossip of players wanting out. He has created a complete sense of negativity around the club, and I think it has clearly effected the players. 

- Tactics. Last season he was rightly given full credit for switching to 3-5-2. This season, he has watched us be out-done tactically time and time again and done nothing about it. No change to formation, no change to tactics, and substitutions are too little, too late (often consisting of like for like swaps or taking off our most creative player when chasing a game). Nowhere near good enough. 

- Players Under-performing. You can't blame him for individual errors, but for me, he is paid to get the best out of players. This isn't happening. Bakayoko, Drinkwater, Luiz to name a few, are all players who have disappeared this season. There is a £100M worth of players there who have made no meaningful positive contribution this season. 

Fall Outs- I think the Costa & Luiz situations have lead to his popularity plummeting in the dressing room. This is my own speculation only, but I can't imagine it has helped get the players on side. Two massive characters, and he has gone to war with them. At the time, I didn't have an issue with him laying down the law and letting everyone know who was boss, but in hindsight, it hasn't gone well has it. Also, his pathetic spat with Mourinho was painful to watch and did him no favours at all. Mourinho came out of it with no credit either, but it's what he does, Conte should have known better than to get involved. 

 

All in all, I don't see how anyone can suggest Conte has done nothing wrong this season. He has done a lot wrong. 

 

 

Our Squad Strength is fine. Has been fine. We got decent/good players as back ups, exactly what we wanted. Its the way Conte has totally under used them just to satisfy his over bloated ego which has been an issue. Take Zappacosta for example. Moses has been under performing for months now, yet Zappa has barely had a look in. Shows Conte's mentality. 

“It was my prediction [that we would struggle] and I now stop."

Damn!!! Now he is down to "Told you so". The bloody balls on this guy. If only he could manage half as well as he moans and complains. Cant wait to see the back of this guy

2 hours ago, Slojo said:

All winners have a big sense of entitlement, the days we start being grateful for finishing outside the top 4 are the days when we accept this clubs decline.

I have no doubts in my mind that we are selfish and entitled, but that's just how it is, you can't just accept mediocrity and in our case the Europa League is mediocrity, we should be finishing top 4 at the very least with the money we have spent. 

 

That's twisting words a bit  Nobody said we should be grateful for finishing outside the top 4, but, in view of where this club has been in the past (and top 4 getting ever more difficult to achieve), a 5th place with European football is nothing to be embarrassed about. Even if we are happier with the CL, it's still an opportunity to win silverware (and get into the CL by its merit). 

I still don't understand why the club still keeps him in charge, it's not like Roman can't afford to pay out an extra few months of his contract. This kind of 'patience' doesn't do anyone a favor, most of us feel dark and gloomy going to the game. I mean seriously, how many of us really thought we'd beat Spurs last week if we were thinking with our head, not heart. He didn't get this job to run the club, he knew it before he signed, he just behaved like a spoiled child didn't get the Christmas toys for most part of the season.

34 minutes ago, Valerie said:

That's twisting words a bit  Nobody said we should be grateful for finishing outside the top 4, but, in view of where this club has been in the past (and top 4 getting ever more difficult to achieve), a 5th place with European football is nothing to be embarrassed about. Even if we are happier with the CL, it's still an opportunity to win silverware (and get into the CL by its merit). 

I just think bringing up the past is irrelevant, it doesn't fit in today's climate. We've won a lot of things and we have to continue to do so, of course there is going to be an entitlement. At this point I would hate to see a lot of our fans turn into the Arsene Wenger in-crowd at Arsenal who accept mediocrity.

And it is pretty embarrassing when you spend over 200 million in the transfer window and probably have 1 good signing to show for it.  

37 minutes ago, Valerie said:

That's twisting words a bit  Nobody said we should be grateful for finishing outside the top 4, but, in view of where this club has been in the past (and top 4 getting ever more difficult to achieve), a 5th place with European football is nothing to be embarrassed about. Even if we are happier with the CL, it's still an opportunity to win silverware (and get into the CL by its merit). 

Thanks Val, couldn't have "explained" my post any better. 

4 minutes ago, Slojo said:

I just think bringing up the past is irrelevant, it doesn't fit in today's climate. We've won a lot of things and we have to continue to do so, of course there is going to be an entitlement. At this point I would hate to see a lot of our fans turn into the Arsene Wenger in-crowd at Arsenal who accept mediocrity.

And it is pretty embarrassing when you spend over 200 million in the transfer window and probably have 1 good signing to show for it.  

Bringing up the past is not irrelevant. The present has always and will always be measured against the past as sure as the future will be measured against the present. 

It will always fit into today's climate and what you can say is holding on to the past will not fit today's climate, then that will be saying something to think about. A man that dismisses his history or history in general is like a man that revels in history. Both reading from the same foolish page. 

Embarrassing or not, the money was spent, that is key. When we broke records for signing Torres he would have been a good signing i suppose. Only before the fact. When measured against HIS history and money spent he was a dud signing.

A sense of entitlement to anything that is not totally within your control is laughable, forget about the other members of the top six, how about the rest of the league? Are they not also footballers wanting to win things? Because we have more money or so called better players?  

Appreciating, understanding and accepting of a situation is not accepting mediocrity. It is being rational.

 

41 minutes ago, abister1 said:

Bringing up the past is not irrelevant. The present has always and will always be measured against the past as sure as the future will be measured against the present. 

It will always fit into today's climate and what you can say is holding on to the past will not fit today's climate, then that will be saying something to think about. A man that dismisses his history or history in general is like a man that revels in history. Both reading from the same foolish page. 

Embarrassing or not, the money was spent, that is key. When we broke records for signing Torres he would have been a good signing i suppose. Only before the fact. When measured against HIS history and money spent he was a dud signing.

A sense of entitlement to anything that is not totally within your control is laughable, forget about the other members of the top six, how about the rest of the league? Are they not also footballers wanting to win things? Because we have more money or so called better players?  

Appreciating, understanding and accepting of a situation is not accepting mediocrity. It is being rational.

 

But that's not mutually exclusive, you can be rational and have high expectations for the team. I actually think that's a rational thing to do.

I don't think we've matched expectations, not even close for the money we've spent. So for that reason, I think we've horribly underachieved but it's not something I'll cry about either we can come back with or without Conte. I just wouldn't nail things down by saying "We used to finish outside of the top 4 for years under Abramovich". Those just aren't the times anymore and we're putting a lot more into the club than we are getting out, that right there justifies criticism from the fans. 

So I agree and disagree but normalising our current scenario because of the past isn't logical, so to argue rationality I would say look at that perspective. 

Conte has been Rigid throughout the season, He lacks a plan B. Even when we were losing against City,United,Spurs he stuck to his plan and made changes only in the last 10 minutes. 

He is mostly negetive in the press confrence but hardly takes the blame on himself. 

He is a great tactician but must not stay unless he is more flexible

Edited April 8, 20188 yr by DG19

11 minutes ago, DG19 said:

Conte has been Rigid throughout the season, He lacks a plan B. Even when we were losing against City,United,Spurs he stuck to his plan and made changes only in the last 10 minutes. 

He is mostly negetive in the press confrence but hardly takes the blame on himself. 

He is a great tactician but must not stay unless he is more flexible

he used 3-5-2 earlier this season against big teams with great effect, and i don't know what happened he just stopped using it 

8 hours ago, Valerie said:

Hating him, seriously? The change from last season is hard to take admittedly, and he seems to overstayed his welcome, but hating him is completely over the top.

Hyperbole. I don't actually hate him obviously. I don't have a single clue what he's like personally. 

8 hours ago, abister1 said:

Your sense of entitlement is bewildering. I'm not saying don't be ambitious but please remind me what European tournament we regularly participated in before our luck with Roman's millions.

 

I think I'm just about done with hearing silly retorts like this. How about we go back to fighting relegations and struggling to stay up while we're at it. Since that's apparently the level we belong in. After all, our mid table runs in the 90s required huge investments as well. We're a bloody football club, how can you not want to be better? 

This idea that holding the club's feet to the fire to prevent complacency is somehow "entitlement" is so silly, it's almost offensive. If you never really reacclimatized to the status we've been at for about a decade and half, then that's on you. Stop trying to force everyone else to think the same way. Some of us would actually like to see this club reach Madrid/Barca status someday. If that's not you, then that's your problem.

edit: actually I read that article and its much ado about nothing. PR speak about nothing.

Edited April 8, 20188 yr by Stim

3 hours ago, Slojo said:

I just think bringing up the past is irrelevant, it doesn't fit in today's climate. We've won a lot of things and we have to continue to do so, of course there is going to be an entitlement. 

Quick, hide yourself from Yorkleyblue   You know he"ll say our first thought is to avoid relegation 

Say what you want about missed chances today. It’s all coulda woulda shoulda. Our results speak for themselves in 2018. Laughable Prem performances all fall on Conte’s shoulders. Should part ways with him now, he’s causing more harm with every game he manages. 

1 hour ago, Valerie said:

Quick, hide yourself from Yorkleyblue   You know he"ll say our first thought is to avoid relegation 

I’ve already accepted death as it is, Kev shows no mercy ! 

I’ll have all the pessimistic fans on my side anyway after today result 

But clearly if he has been going on and on about working harder, and garder.  I repeat it is very difficult in this country but we must work harder and harder, then as a coach he is clearly two bob and last season was, as every other pundit said, luck due to us having no european football

12 points from a possible 33 . This man needs to go, we are going down every game and he hardly seems to change anything, Sticks to his same tactics. Our season is getting worse with every game.

Lets be honest, He's not going to be here to start next season and he doesn't want to be here to start next season. So what harm could putting in Joe Edwards (u23 manager) right now do. At the very least he'd integrate youth team players and reinvigorate this totally dejected squad. 

11 minutes ago, DG19 said:

12 points from a possible 33 . This man needs to go, we are going down every game and he hardly seems to change anything, Sticks to his same tactics. Our season is getting worse with every game.

When, in recent memory, have we ever know Abramovich to accept that sort of record. Absolutely shocking

29 minutes ago, DidierDidier said:

Lets be honest, He's not going to be here to start next season and he doesn't want to be here to start next season. So what harm could putting in Joe Edwards (u23 manager) right now do. At the very least he'd integrate youth team players and reinvigorate this totally dejected squad. 

Can see some attractive football under him. Also likes of Hudson-Odoi, Trevoh Chalobah and Redan might get some game time.

We should have put that game to bed early on, we missed so many good chances and a lot of responsibility needs to fall on the attacking players. Also it doesn't help when Hart suddenly turns into De Gea for one game

But one of my main issues with Conte this season is failing to turn around a game. Before West Ham scored you could quite clearly see we were losing some sort of control over that game and West Ham were becoming more dangerous, this is when a manager should be making a slight tactical change or make a substitution to bring back control of the game yet once again he failed to act. This has happened numerous times this season

 

Tactically Conte has been absolutely atrocious this season