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Sacking Conte wouldn't cure Chelsea of its ailments

Michael Regan / Getty Images Sport / Getty

It's possible that owner Roman Abramovich has already phoned his good friend Guus Hiddink and others regarding an interim position at Chelsea, as it appears current boss Antonio Conte may be set for the axe after losses to Watford and Bournemouth this week.

But will firing the Italian tactician cure what ails Chelsea these days?

The Blues currently sit fourth in the Premier League after 26 matches and boast the flight's second-best away record this season. Under Conte, Chelsea finds itself in the fifth round of the FA Cup and has a date with Barcelona in the Champions League round of 16. While the domestic race is likely over, there's still silverware - and a top-four finish - on offer.

On the other hand, Chelsea has conceded seven goals in its last two league tilts, more than the team had allowed in the entirety of any month through the 2017-18 league campaign. One must wonder if Conte has lost the confidence of his players, whom he accused of playing with "fear" after the Watford loss.

In his emotional post-match news conference, Conte seemed resigned to his fate, offering: "I work every day and I give 120 percent, OK? If this is enough, it's OK. Otherwise the club can take a different decision."

Conte's struggles come on the back of a successful Premier League title bid last season, which would usually afford a manager a bit of leeway if results and form sour. Alas, it's a luxury Chelsea bosses have rarely been afforded under Abramovich, who has hired and fired 13 different tacticians since he purchased the club in 2003.

Abramovich's decision on Conte will resonate differently than his choice to fire Jose Mourinho, though: the Italian can point to a lack of support in his vision if he does exit Stamford Bridge prematurely, specifically in player acquisition, where Conte's needs and the club's transfer activities don't seem to align. While the Blues have still been players in the market, recent signings suggest a more prudent approach.

But Conte's revolution at Chelsea required significant investment, too. He isn't the sort of manager who can make do with the toys of the previous occupant. Conte's decision to switch to a 3-4-3 meant adding pieces that weren't found in the previous team: high-quality wing-backs, a healthy crop of centre-backs, and solid central midfielders were a minimum requirement.

That's not to suggest Chelsea hasn't invested in personnel - the Blues most certainly have, though the club's failure to acquire targets like Virgil van Dijk, Romelu Lukaku, Edin Dzeko, Alexis Sanchez, and Alex Sandro may be worrisome. Chelsea's transfer business has led to depth issues, and subsequently, fitness issues. Eight different players have suffered hamstring injuries this season, a problem that often indicates fatigue.

But for Conte, making do is part of his work requirements, part and parcel with making tactical decisions. In that regard, Conte has come up short. His use of Eden Hazard as a false nine in the injury absence of Alvaro Morata is particularly puzzling. It's not a role that suits the diminutive winger's characteristics. It's no surprise that Hazard couldn't find a sight of goal against Watford until Olivier Giroud's introduction moved the Belgian back to his comfort zone out wide.

Conte took responsibility for that decision, offering: "Maybe I made the wrong decision for the starting XI," but his decisions this season have largely been made as a reaction to injuries that have hampered his thin squad throughout the campaign. Fatigue was an issue that onlookers warned of early on as Chelsea added European travel to its schedule.

Conte reiterated that Chelsea's struggles are a consequence of failing to address its depth problem earlier in the year: "I tried to warn everyone about the difficulty of our path and the difficulty in the league, to find a place in the Champions League. But now we're facing a lot of difficulty and you can see it."

The number of new faces has led to a lack of cohesion within the team. Despite the additions, however, the size of the squad hasn't sufficiently increased. Each newcomer replaced a player sold or sent out on loan, which has done little to alleviate Conte's selection headaches:

IN OUT
Alvaro Morata Diego Costa
Olivier Giroud Michy Batshuayi
Emerson Palmieri Kenedy
Davide Zappacosta Nathan Ake
Danny Drinkwater Marco van Ginkel
Tiemoue Bakayoko Nemanja Matic
Antonio Rudiger Kurt Zouma
Willy Caballero Asmir Begovic
Ross Barkley Charly Musonda

That list also doesn't include other outgoing players like Bertrand Traore, Christian Atsu, Dominic Solanke, Loic Remy, John Terry, Nathaniel Chalobah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, or Tammy Abraham, many of whom could have offered Conte depth across various positions this season.

When Chelsea parted ways with technical director Michael Emenalo, the idea was that Conte would have a greater say in the club's market strategy, but it's difficult to imagine that players like Ross Barkley or Danny Drinkwater - brought in by new technical director Marina Granovskaia - were his choice. Those signings aren't necessarily of insufficient quality, but they run contrary to Conte's plans, and he shouldn't be expected to immediately find a formula that works.

In Bakayoko's case, Conte had warned that overuse of a young midfielder unfamiliar with the league wasn't wise, explaining his idea was to "give Bakayoko the right time to adapt in this league behind (Nemanja) Matic." Instead, Conte was forced to use his new signing right away, and as a result, Bakayoko has had poor showings, including a half hour against Watford that culminated with a red card. As a result of his struggles, fans have turned on the newcomer.

Slowly, they have begun seeing Conte as expendable, too. The Italian called for a show of confidence from the Blues bosses, which hasn't been answered. Firing Conte won't cure issues of depth, injuries, player utilization, tactics, and form overnight. These problems won't be solved without a commitment to one vision, personnel cohesion, and some capital investment.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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