“We played with fear. To play football in a great club, it means you must have a personality. It’s simple to play when there is the confidence. Especially in this type of moment, you can see who is [ready to play] for a great club, to play with personality and also to risk something.”

Antonio Conte's most telling words after the Watford defeat and, perhaps, the first indication that radical change in player personnel will happen if he is allowed to continue in his job. For continue he must, not only to right the wrongs he has openly admitted to regarding team selection, but also to put an end to the continual flow of managerial departures every time the going gets tough at Stamford Bridge. It has become the Bridge of Perpetual Sighs throughout Roman's rule, as we the fans mourn the passing of a managerial loved one far too often for our own good, let alone the well-being of the club. The Guardian's Barney Ronay has already referred to this latest performance as 'a 90 minute Viking funeral for the Conte era' pronouncing death by missing adventure in the rest of his article. Sadly, he is probably right, but if ever there was a reason for breathing fresh life into the boss, as opposed to giving yet another coach a kiss of death call, it is the young talent emerging from the Academy and the mandate he has to get it into the first team as soon as possible.

For Conte that time is right now, or next Monday to be precise, against West Brom in what amounts to an archetypal risen-from-the-dead moment when he has to roll away the stone currently blocking the pathway from Academy to first team football and allow some of the kids to venture forth into the cold, unforgiving light of a Premier League match. Much as he might want to send out the same bunch of regulars to redeem themselves, Conte can't, unless he wants to dig his own grave in a sub-plot generously offered to gullible fans by the media in exchange for their loyalty to the Italian. Instead, chances have to be given to as many of the side just defeated on penalties by Lincoln City in the Checkatrade Trophy semi-final as he can justifiably shoehorn into the starting eleven, with at least one other waiting in anticipation on the bench. Suicidal many may say, but surely some sort of statement of future intent is necessary, even if it means leaving a few previously damn near permanent members of the first team out of the picture altogether.

Without wishing the current three-day respite to turn into gardening leave longevity, my casualty list has to be headed by Tiemoue Bakayoko, though I have some sympathy for him, confronted by late replacement referee Mike Dean, who as per usual needed no second bidding to make a spectacle of himself by giving Baka two early yellow cards simply for being not very good. Gone are the days, it seems, when you had to cut a player in half 'Chopper' Harris style to warrant a yellow, although I doubt Watford players would have been treated in the same way by this official, who throughout his career has been nothing if not scrupulously unfair and totally inconsistent. Radicalism being the watchword and paying due regard to Andreas Christensen's injury, other names listed should be defenders Gary Cahill and David Luiz, making way for a quartet of Under-21 players who have shown they are worthy of fast-tracking and, while in the mood to cull anybody who didn't perform against Watford, I'm afraid to say a decidedly jaded Victor Moses sits on the bench alongside the following:- Willy Caballero, Reece James, Emerson Palmieri, Cesc Fabregas, Ross Barkley and Willian.

Next, the starting X1 that will need a captain and Thibaut Courtois and Dave are the obvious candidates, but, in keeping with the whole Children of the Revolution vibe I want Conte to bring to this table-topping squad, they should both stand down in favour of Ethan Ampadu [deputising for Andreas Christensen] and before the laughter on this site gets too loud let me point out that it will not be too long before this kid proves his leadership qualities for his country, let alone his club, so the sooner we tap into this JT-esque attribute the better. Now for the full team in 3-4-2-1 formation:-

Thibaut Courtois; Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, Ethan Ampadu; Dujon Sterling, Trevoh Chalobah, N'Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso; Edin Hazard, Callum Hudson-Odoi; Olivier Giroud.

Such a high level of radicalism is wishful thinking, of course, but it would be nice to know exactly how far in this direction Antonio is prepared to take us, if at all. To give those Watford selections an opportunity to redeem themselves en bloc is in itself bordering on an admission of defeat and would only serve to strengthen the belief that he sees no real alternative to more of the same with, hopefully, a different outcome. That, to my mind, if it proved to be anything other than an emphatic victory, would be a worrying sign - no kick up the backside for the players who thought they were in the comfy seats without competition for them and, perhaps more importantly, no indication that the Conte era can be extended beyond the one season wonders label it will obviously have stuck on it should we not start the development process immediately. Stumbling on in similar fashion after scrapping and scraping a victory against West Brom would be like watching a much-loved boxing champion start to take far too much punishment far too early in their career.

Roll those punches Antonio. Risk something. Trust in the enthusiasm and personality of youth and remember how young you were when you made your Serie A debut.. Roll away the stone.

Clicking "Like" is just not adequate. 

"Scrupulously unfair" gets my prize for the Oxymoron of the century. 

Lost in admiration. Thank you, Dorset!

I agree with the premise of this post...

Get Ampadu and Hudson-Odoi involved heavily going forward.

Ampadu seems like a clone of Christensen and Odoi showed an electric style of play and for a young kid was incredibly confident, practically demanding the ball all over the pitch.

I don't agree with Fabregas on the bench. He has been an influential player and his ability to create is necessary.

Bakayoko needs more time to come good but I think he has to step back first. There is a massive difference between EPL and Ligue 1.

Edited February 7, 20188 yr by Saaladin

When I saw Mike Dean in the tunnel prior to the start of the match, with his smug face and looking with disdain at Cahill, I had a bad feeling that we were going to get screwed big time by him, and alas, I was right.    Though if Baka would not have been pulled off by Conte during the match if he did not get his second yellow, which to me was a 50-50 thing, we would have been playing with 10 men anyway.

11 minutes ago, moi said:

"Scrupulously unfair" gets my prize for the Oxymoron of the century. 

Lost in admiration. Thank you, Dorset!

Thank you moi, much appreciated. Knowing your expertise with these things, can you get Mott the Hoople up on this thread to provide the musical backdrop. Sadly, there will be many on here who will be none the wiser if you cannot oblige! 

15 minutes ago, Saaladin said:

I agree with the premise of this post...

Get Ampadu and Hudson-Odoi involved heavily going forward.

Ampadu seems like a clone of Christensen and Odoi showed an electric style of play and for a young kid was incredibly confident, practically demanding the ball all over the pitch.

I don't agree with Fabregas on the bench. He has been an influential player and his ability to create is necessary.

Bakayoko needs more time to come good but I think he has to step back first. There is a massive difference between EPL and Ligue 1.

If we played a 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 or 4-4-2, Fabregas could play. 

He doesn't fit with three at the back, he is a liability.

@Dorset - seems to me that Conte has made a number of wrong team selections not just one.

Edited February 7, 20188 yr by Strider6003

Good to see you @Dorset, have missed your posts of late.

13 minutes ago, Phillip said:

When I saw Mike Dean in the tunnel prior to the start of the match, with his smug face and looking with disdain at Cahill, I had a bad feeling that we were going to get screwed big time by him, and alas, I was right.    Though if Baka would not have been pulled off by Conte during the match if he did not get his second yellow, which to me was a 50-50 thing, we would have been playing with 10 men anyway.

The omens were not good, Phillip, as soon as I knew he was a replacement for Craig Pawson. I'm sure too that I couldn't have been the only one to notice he was not only remarkably quick in issuing the second yellow card but it was also strange to see both cards come out of the same pocket. Most referees keep them separate to avoid confusion, but I suppose that doesn't apply if you are eager to give the same player a second yellow inside 30 minutes and before you give one to anybody else.

28 minutes ago, Phillip said:

When I saw Mike Dean in the tunnel prior to the start of the match, with his smug face and looking with disdain at Cahill, I had a bad feeling that we were going to get screwed big time by him, and alas, I was right.    Though if Baka would not have been pulled off by Conte during the match if he did not get his second yellow, which to me was a 50-50 thing, we would have been playing with 10 men anyway.

Blame the ref even though Chelsea was awful before the sending off. Chelsea wasn't screwed by the ref, they was just sh*t.

32 minutes ago, Dorset said:

Thank you moi, much appreciated. Knowing your expertise with these things, can you get Mott the Hoople up on this thread to provide the musical backdrop. Sadly, there will be many on here who will be none the wiser if you cannot oblige! 

Alas, I am currently on holiday in Thailand, and can't post YouTube's from my Kindle Fire. But I shall contact someone who can. The song has been playing in my head ever since I read this thread.

 

@yorkleyblue Can you oblige, please?

 

P.S. Grrrrr! Why has the machine added an apostrophe to Youtubes????

Edited February 7, 20188 yr by moi

34 minutes ago, Strider6003 said:

If we played a 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 or 4-4-2, Fabregas could play. 

He doesn't fit with three at the back, he is a liability.

Depends who we are playing against.

Conte has used Fabregas to good effect in the 3-5-2 formation.

I would go with Kante, Ampadu (or Drinkwater), Fabregas in the middle three. Fabregas would basically be a #10 behind Hazard and Morata.

If we need a goal you could drop Fabregas beside Kante, drop Hazard to the #10 position then bring on Giroud beside Morata.

Great post Dorset!

I think Conte is the type who could actually do something like that. When the players come back from their extra two days of holiday bring in immediately young guys as your number 1 training unit and let the seniors mull over and look at the mirror for a few days.

Conte is one of the biggest earners of the managers so he should dig deep here. I have never taken him as a man who goes hiding.

Great post Dorset, as much as I would love to see Conte roll out the youth as many of us have cried out for when our senior players have underperformed in the past. I’m afraid I can’t see things changing, as with Mourinho - managers are extremely stubborn and will stick to their guns even if it costs them their job.

 

I hope I’m wrong and we see an entirely different line up. I could take getting beat with that side you’ve listed because you could guarantee each and every one of them would be bursting their arse for the team which is a lot more than can be said for some of the players on Monday night.

Listen I agree with Dorset, but with the managers, we go for, the big name managers most have got big egos they will not risk their reputation so they will not use the young, I think 

Chelsea is broken this is not the first time this has happened and won't be the last time?. Should the question be can Chelsea be fixed? and who should that man be? coz Conte is not the answer?     

Long time lurker but first post and couldn't agree with Dorset more strongly. Last season Conte had the testicular fortitude to shift to 3-4-3 when things were looking bleak and this feels like a similar moment. Let the journos write us off at their peril - if he has the courage to unleash the youth it could be the beginning of something magnificent!

Loved reading this! Fantastic!

good post, the way things are at the moment he might as well play the under 21s, probably wouldn't of got beat 4-1 

Wonderful idea mate and one we would mostly back however never ever gonna happen. It is just not the Chelsea way.

Too slow, moi.

i like the idea, but i feel that it's a double edged sword.

If Conte rolls out the same, tired squad, he could easily justify it by claiming that he's getting the best players ready for the pending matches with Barcelona.  Those of a more skeptical nature could argue that he is merely sending the same, tired squad out because he's completely at odds with the board, and he's too stubborn/proud to walk away so he's purposely failing in order to be sacked and get his severance package.

Those of that same nature would obviously have issue if they saw a team "full of kids."  While many of us fans would be happy to see it, gleeful in fact of finally seeing some prospects making PL debuts, the skeptics would see it as Conte admitting he doesn't care any longer; especially should the result go against us.  And should the result go against us, i fear it is curtains for Antonio; therefore, i don't think he'll make the wholesale changes you've listed.  I think there will be a couple of them on the bench (Ampadu and CHO) who may get an obligatory run out should the game be in our favour with 10 minutes to go.

Great read as usual @Dorset. 

I too have been very impressed with Ampadu. He seems to have the sort of mental toughness, that young prospects with greater ability have lacked before him.

The challenge he put in on Defoe tells you everything you need to know about the kid. 

We seem too nice as a team now, there used to be a time when referees feared making bad decisions in our games, I'm not advocating the ugly scenes from yesteryear, but we need to be less passive. 

Ampadu looks a future captain here, and I hope he isn't held back because of his age. 

An under-pressure manager questioning whether the core squad of first team players have the mentality to play for a big club. 

Fans wanting unproven kids who have shown a few flashes of potential to be given an extended run in the first team over experienced pros who have won it all (and expecting the board to back the manager if he does that), because we're on a bit of a bad run. 

 

We've been here before. We know how it ends. 

 

At a certain point you realise you're setting yourself up for disappointment. 

...a few years away from the site and Dorset still posts pure gold .......