Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is reportedly already “not happy” with manager Antonio Conte following the team’s defeat to Liverpool on Friday.
The Blues were outplayed for long spells in the match, with the visitors securing a comfortable 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge. According to David Woods of the Daily Star, despite being in the early stages of his managerial tenure, Conte is “already under pressure” as a result, with Abramovich “furious” at the display.
“The Russian held meetings with Chelsea executives until 1 a.m. following Friday’s 2-1 defeat,” added Woods. “A source close to the Blues owner said: ‘He was not happy with Conte’s performance, but it’s very early.’”
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Woods added the Italian coach isn’t content himself, having missed out on some key transfer targets over the summer. Although Chelsea drafted in N’Golo Kante, Michy Batshuayi, David Luiz and Marcos Alonso, it’s reported “there are concerns already this will not prove enough to lift a team that finished 10th in the table last year.”
As we can see here courtesy of 101 Great Goals, the Daily Express has also reported the Blues owner is not pleased with recent goings-on:
Conte enjoyed a perfect start to life at Stamford Bridge in his first three Premier League games in charge, steering the Blues to three victories in a row. However, the unpredictable nature of the division caught up with Chelsea at the Liberty Stadium in Week 4, as they tossed away two points from a position of comfort against Swansea City.
Against Liverpool, they were made to look sluggish and predictable in their play, as Jurgen Klopp’s side ran riot in the first half in west London.
Greg Johnson of Squawka Football feels as though the former Juventusboss was limited in his approach to this game by the lack of transfer activity at the Bridge this summer:
Indeed, there are big gaps in the Chelsea squad. Luiz, while a popular figure among the supporters, doesn’t strike as a Conte-type defender, while in the full-back spots, there is a lack of depth and a big question over what to do about Branislav Ivanovic.
Tactically, the manager didn’t get things right on Friday. Stamford Bridge was rocking before kick-off as the Blues stared down their first significant game of the season, yet Conte’s side sat so deep, allowing Liverpool to dictate the game, sap the stadium’s vibrant atmosphere and smother Chelsea for the opening exchanges.
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There seemed to be a lack of confidence on the part of the players and the manager to go toe-to-toe with the Reds. Per Rory Smith of the New York Times, the coach has already made reference to the team’s psychological fragility:
It’ll be a big challenge for Conte to help his players overcome that. While the likes of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard have rediscovered their form early in the season, Ivanovic, Thibaut Courtois, Gary Cahill and Nemanja Matic all look chastened by the Blues’ disastrous 2015-16 campaign. That’ll take patience and time to eradicate.
So while Abramovich may have a reputation for being trigger-happy when it comes to managers, it would be remarkably premature to consider parting with a coach of Conte’s calibre at such an early stage. It’s clear he still has a lot of work to do in the capital.
