Why Chelsea would be wrong to sack Antonio Conte at this juncture

Jordan Russell (@JordRuss96)
06 feb 2018

As things stand, it is probably fair to say there is a 99.9% chance Antonio Conte won’t be the manager of Chelsea at the beginning of next season. Indeed, if his team’s results continue in their current vein then it is possible the Italian won’t see out the remainder of the current campaign. 3-0 and 4-1 defeats against Bournemouth and Watford are not acceptable results for a team which won the Premier League less than 12 months ago.

That said, what would be the point in sacking him just now? The Blues are still in the UEFA Champions League and remain on course to qualify for the competition again next season. While recent results have been alarming, it would be wrong to overlook the fact he is not the only one to blame for the club’s failings. Indeed, the hierarchy is just as culpable having taken several decisions against their coach’s will.

If reports are to be believed, Mauricio Pochettino and Maurizio Sarri are their two preferred candidates to replace Conte: both of whom are under contract at Tottenham Hotspur and Napoli respectively. Surely the last thing Chelsea need is yet another interim manager at the helm? The club is unstable enough without hiring people for two or three months at a time.

The only candidate who is available to take over just now is Luis Enrique, having been out of work since last summer when he left Barcelona. However, such is the Spaniard’s penchant for things to be done his way, it is highly unlikely he would be willing to take charge midway through a campaign.

Those in charge at Stamford Bridge surely have enough savvy to realise that the best option is to stick with Conte until the season draws to a conclusion; then they have the whole summer ahead of them to conduct a large rebuilding job. By holding off, they will also have more time to ensure the manager they appoint is the one they want and can do a job for the club long-term.