Chelsea Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2016

cadaliac

duploelabs wrote: »

Found it
http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/red-issue-provide-fascinating-insight-into-the-power-struggles-at-man-united-tweets/

Makes sense alright

GavRedKing

I wonder with Pato close to being ready and Traore scoring goals, who does Guus use on the bench and whos our number 2 CF?

Yes, Pato says he prefers to play in a supporting role so its likely that Pato would be up against Kenedy and Oscar for a slot on the bench to replace the starters and right now Pedro, Willian and Hazard have to be starting every game I reckon. Guus doesnt seem to fancy Kenedy at all so he'll probably drop out of the squad altogether which is a real shame IMO.

Remy is now 3rd choice it seems behind Costa and Traore whos looks to be a real goal poacher and a threat to expose tired defences, I've actually being very impressed with him in his cameos tis year, I remember watching him a few years back playing ore-season with De Bruyne, Lukaku and all those lads and he was really good even then, hes certainly wasted on the wing so playing him through the middle makes sense to me.

peteeeed

afternoon horsesh!t

Chelsea

– Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo scouted Arturo Vidal in Bayern Munich’s 2-2 draw with Juventus on Tuesday night (Football Italia)
NEVER MIND THE FACT THAT HE'S AFTER 2 ITALIAN COACHES

– Real Madrid are targeting Thibaut Courtois as an alternative for Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea (Don Balon)

– Millwall defender Christian Mbulu, 19, has emerged as a target for the Blues (The Sun)

– Antonio Conte reckons he’s landed the Chelsea job and he wants to make Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan his first signing (Daily Star)

– Conte also wants to bring Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini with him to Stamford Bridge (Daily Express)

– Should the Italy manager land a new midfielder then John Obi Mikel is expected to leave the Blues (Daily Telegraph)

– Manuel Pellegrini has emerged as the main rival to Conte as Chelsea search for a permanent replacement for Jose Mourinho (Daily Star)

– Norwich City will rival Everton for the signature of Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic (Metro)

– Chelsea, Villa, Leicester and Southampton scouts are all keeping an eye on 21-year-old FC Midtjylland striker Paul Onuachu (Birmingham Mail)

grumpymunster

The whole Conte to Chelsea thing seems to be growing legs it will be so disappointing when we end up with Pellegrini if Emenalo gets his way.

Lukker-

Emenalo might be out of a job if we get Conte and it's true he wants Sabbatini as technical director.

Put Emenalo in charge of scouting young players that can be signed but will go on loan for experience.

We need a technical director who signs first time players that understands the needs and can work with the manager. There is a disparity there now and it harms us.

GavRedKing

Its all speculation of course but it does make sense that Conte is hired. No fee to release him compared to Allegiri or Simeone.

If it meant the demise of Emenalo he'd be sainted by the Chelsea fans without playing a game.

McDave

grumpymunster wrote: »

The whole Conte to Chelsea thing seems to be growing legs it will be so disappointing when we end up with Pellegrini if Emenalo gets his way.

Reports that Emanalo is advocating Pelligrini sounds like he's setting himself up for a fall. I didn't much respect his intervention on Jose and the dressingroom. That really sounded like he was off the reservation. And even if RA authorised it, he seemed really out of his depth.

It's a major crossroads for CFC. If the best we can do is Pellegrini, I think we'll see Courtois making for the door, less than top drawer in the door generally, and real decline setting in.

Someone like Conte or Allegri will carry more weight, not least in the transfer market. Also, Conte wanting his own sporting director would signal the end of the old insider clique typified by Emanalo.

I'm reckoning on Conte myself, not least because I reckon he can get his template for the next season up and running earlier than Allegri. Which obviously will be vital for transfers.

SureYWouldntYa

GavRedKing wrote: »

Its all speculation of course but it does make sense that Conte is hired. No fee to release him compared to Allegiri or Simeone.

If it meant the demise of Emenalo he'd be sainted by the Chelsea fans without playing a game.

I wonder would the board get rid of him for Conte, they didn't do it for Jose

McDave

Interesting article on the succession stakes: http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/feb/24/antonio-conte-dream-move-italy-chelsea-manager-contender

On Conte:

Conte has always been on Chelsea’s shortlist to become the long‑term successor to José Mourinho, who was sacked last December, and if he has not always looked like the No1 contender – that man has been Diego Simeone of Atlético Madrid – he has come to look like it now.

On Simeone:

Simeone, who has been in charge at Atlético since 2011, overseeing their rise to the status of European powerhouse, is an institution at the club. He is comfortable, handsomely paid and in a position of technical authority. His team vie for prizes and the supporters respect him.

The big question has crossed his mind. Why leave all of this for the high‑risk, high-stress post at Chelsea? And, at the very least, why decide now? Chelsea have got the message. Simeone is no dead cert in recruitment terms.

On Allegri:

To Allegri, it is all in the game. If a public stance needs to be taken and/or supported, he will endorse it but, privately, he would be extremely receptive to an official offer from Chelsea.

GavRedKing

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

I wonder would the board get rid of him for Conte, they didn't do it for Jose

The problem was Emenalo offered his resignation and the club turned it down, however, that was Jose also happy to work with Emenalo.

If Conte does want to bring in his own DoF that will probably see Emenalo's role change slightly but not so much that he wont be a constant snake in the grass.

what a day

Why does Emenalo get such a hard tme off some fans?
I know he was blamed on one or two signings but what else has he done?
Does Emenalo has the last say on who we sign?

duploelabs

what a day wrote: »

Why does Emenalo get such a hard tme off some fans?
I know he was blamed on one or two signings but what else has he done?
Does Emenalo has the last say on who we sign?

Have a read of this and then judge for yourself
http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2016/2/11/10963704/who-is-michael-emenalo-a-look-into-chelseas-technical-director

GavRedKing

Hes the public face of the Board too, so thats going to sting with the fans when decisions have to be made.

When Jose was sacked, he gave an interview few days later and he refused to even use his name in the interview with Chelsea TV.

what a day

No sure if its my work access in here but not a lot of info other than the price of ins and outs.
Some good ,some bad and some bargins.

Im not sure how much Emenalo earns but i know id swap jobs in a heart beat.
If i was paid x amount to go find some good players id give it a go, after that its up to Roman to sign the cheques or fire my ass for doing a terrible job.

What im trying to say is surely there is some conversation between Roman, Marina, Emenalo and the current manager on who we sign. Can Emenalo take the blame for poor signings all alone?

I for one dont mind when we sign a dud, what annoyes me is the likes of Mourinho coming in and selling players like DeBruyne and Luiz and most of all players like Cech and Mata to our rivals. But again thats not just Mourinhos fault its the boards fault as a whole.

what a day

GavRedKing wrote: »

Hes the public face of the Board too, so thats going to sting with the fans when decisions have to be made.

When Jose was sacked, he gave an interview few days later and he refused to even use his name in the interview with Chelsea TV.

Thats another point Gav, i think he is the voice for the board.He is a blow in, he has only rubbed shoulders with Roman the past couple of years so for him to control who we sign would be crazy. I taugh he was in charge of the youth system and who we signed into our acadamy and to be fair in the past 3 years we have been one of the best in the world. (granted i dont know who Emenalo signed).

GavRedKing

what a day wrote: »

Thats another point Gav, i think he is the voice for the board.He is a blow in, he has only rubbed shoulders with Roman the past couple of years so for him to control who we sign would be crazy. I taugh he was in charge of the youth system and who we signed into our acadamy and to be fair in the past 3 years we have been one of the best in the world. (granted i dont know who Emenalo signed).

I think Neil Bath is the academy director and head of youth development. Theres a huge team of scouts anyway scouring the globe for these talented players so it would never be down to one guy.

Emenalo has also been a guy to liase with the first team players and the story goes that any little grievance, is brought back to the higher ups. This practice has been there since hes been in the job, apparently.

Hes clearly trusted so much by Roman and the board that they refused to accept his resignation when Jose came back.

I cant see him losing his job anytime soon, even we brought in Conte and his own DoF.

Techless

GavRedKing wrote: »

I think Neil Bath is the academy director and head of youth development. Theres a huge team of scouts anyway scouring the globe for these talented players so it would never be down to one guy.

Emenalo has also been a guy to liase with the first team players and the story goes that any little grievance, is brought back to the higher ups. This practice has been there since hes been in the job, apparently.

Hes clearly trusted so much by Roman and the board that they refused to accept his resignation when Jose came back.

I cant see him losing his job anytime soon, even we brought in Conte and his own DoF.

He wanted to resign when they wanted to bring Jose back ?

Never knew that.

GavRedKing

Ya, Emenalo offered to resign but the board turned down the request.

I'd have to Google it but I think Jose said he no problem working with under the structure anyway at the time.

grumpymunster

So Monchengladbach want to spend €15m on Christensen apparently, all the more reason to keep him I think

http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2016/2/25/11112058/borussia-monchengladbach-chelsea-andreas-christensen-15m

OK so it is the Daily Fail but I like the comment from Pogba regarding Conte (if it is true)

'He told me [before leaving Manchester United for Juventus]: "With me, there's no youth, it's the best who plays. If you think you can establish yourself here, come, and we'll see if you're able to do it, show us what you can do." He pushed me, he struck where it was needed to convince me. I like being given challenges like that. I like indirect provocation. That's my goal: to be the best in my position, then the best in Europe and then the world.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3463554/Andrea-Pirlo-Paul-Pogba-Carlos-Tevez-opinions-Antonio-Conte-Marco-Verratti-says-Chelsea-contender-best-boss-had.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

SureYWouldntYa

grumpymunster wrote: »

So Monchengladbach want to spend €15m on Christensen apparently, all the more reason to keep him I think

http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2016/2/25/11112058/borussia-monchengladbach-chelsea-andreas-christensen-15m

Let Christensen go for 15m, and then go on to sign Stones for 50m, yeah that makes sense. When really and truly they're at a similar level now and I don't think Stones is worth 35m more than Christensen.

Christensen is home grown as well, so paying for Stones because he's English makes no sense

grumpymunster

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

Let Christensen go for 15m, and then go on to sign Stones for 50m, yeah that makes sense. When really and truly they're at a similar level now and I don't think Stones is worth 35m more than Christensen.

Christensen is home grown as well, so paying for Stones because he's English makes no sense

Indeed even with a buy back clause it makes no sense at all.

Lukker-

Marina meeting with Conte in Italy today to discuss taking over.

SureYWouldntYa

grumpymunster wrote: »

Indeed even with a buy back clause it makes no sense at all.

I think there's a buy back clause for Thorgan Hazard, who's at Gladbach too, so they're open to them at least.

Even now we could do with more defenders, never mind next year when Terry might be gone.

We should have Christensen back next year, he can play right back and defensive midfield too so very handy to have around. Christensen, Miazga, Cahill, Terry and Zouma next year would suffice for sure. Keep 5 around at least at the start of the season so Zouma doesn't have to come back early, give him all the time he needs especially since there probably won't be CL football.

GavRedKing

Lukker- wrote: »

Marina meeting with Conte in Italy today to discuss taking over.

The rags said Conte was coming to London to meet with Chelsea. :pac:

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

I think there's a buy back clause for Thorgan Hazard, who's at Gladbach too, so they're open to them at least.

Even now we could do with more defenders, never mind next year when Terry might be gone.

We should have Christensen back next year, he can play right back and defensive midfield too so very handy to have around. Christensen, Miazga, Cahill, Terry and Zouma next year would suffice for sure. Keep 5 around at least at the start of the season so Zouma doesn't have to come back early, give him all the time he needs especially since there probably won't be CL football.

The problem with next year is, JT will be older and Zouma wont be ready until probably September or October, thats 8 weeeks and a potential to miss nearly a 1/5th of the season for Happy.

We certainly need CBs anyway and I'd be inclined to go for Stones but only if it meant Cahill was leaving. I'd love to have JT, Stones, Zouma, Christensen and Mizaga, Zouma will be injured for awhile and JT can be back up, and we've still got Ivan to fall in if needed.

Cant see Cahill being sold though.

SureYWouldntYa

GavRedKing wrote: »

T

We certainly need CBs anyway and I'd be inclined to go for Stones but only if it meant Cahill was leaving. I'd love to have JT, Stones, Zouma, Christensen and Mizaga, Zouma will be injured for awhile and JT can be back up, and we've still got Ivan to fall in if needed.

Cant see Cahill being sold though.

Don't see the need in Stones really and truly. We seem to have 3 proper prospects in Miazga, Zouma and Christensen. Since we already have those 3, let them be the long term people. Other positions need to be addressed for big money, like another proper defensive midfielder.

I agree with ya that Cahill is sh1t, he's like bambi, needs to lead so much by Terry. Get rid of him and bring in someone close to 30 who's actually of use. Need a wiser head back there to replace Terry who can guide the kids, I don't even know who but there's got to be better than Cahill and Ivanovic at it out there.

Ideal ideal situation is Christensen, Miazga, Terry, Zouma and new more experienced guy.

GavRedKing

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

Don't see the need in Stones really and truly. We seem to have 3 proper prospects in Miazga, Zouma and Christensen. Since we already have those 3, let them be the long term people. Other positions need to be addressed for big money, like another proper defensive midfielder.

I agree with ya that Cahill is sh1t, he's like bambi, needs to lead so much by Terry. Get rid of him and bring in someone close to 30 who's actually of use. Need a wiser head back there to replace Terry who can guide the kids, I don't even know who but there's got to be better than Cahill and Ivanovic at it out there.

Ideal ideal situation is Christensen, Miazga, Terry, Zouma and new more experienced guy.

In this scenario is not better to keep Ivan on board? I know hes been useless for near on 18months, depsite his goals but having him as a back up at CB and RB while others start ahead of him might be a decent option for the next 2 years anyway.

Although I'm not sure what I'm scared of more, Cahill or Ivan at the back without JT.

Lukker-

London Evening Standard are reporting £4.5m pound a year, 3 year contract.

That's less than half of what we were paying Jose who was north of £10m pound a year.

tombliboo83

What makes the prospect of conte coming quiet interesting is the rumours of Roma's sporting director joining him. Anybody know much about him?
Another option at a push would be Guus as director of football and f de boer or Koeman as head coach

grumpymunster

Lukker- wrote: »

Marina meeting with Conte in Italy today to discuss taking over.

Gav beat me to it but yea Mirror saying his agent is in London today, I do hope they did not cross over France somewhere :eek:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/chelsea-closing-italy-chief-antonio-7435795

I dont mind Ivan too much as a CB just not a full back please.

GavRedKing

Lukker- wrote: »

London Evening Standard are reporting £4.5m pound a year, 3 year contract.

That's less than half of what we were paying Jose who was north of £10m pound a year.

Ya Jose was meant to have been on give or take 10m, or about 180k a week. Take into consideration that Conte would cost less then Allegri, Simone and Pellegrini too and youre getting a relative bargain, even if the figure is north of the one reported.

tombliboo83 wrote: »

What makes the prospect of conte coming quiet interesting is the rumours of Roma's sporting director joining him. Anybody know much about him?
Another option at a push would be Guus as director of football and f de boer or Koeman as head coach

Ive no idea about the Roma sporting director other than hes my DoF in FM16 and hes doing a fantastic job of finding players to bring in. :pac:

I think Guus could be offered some advisory role at Chelsea, hes 70 soon so he may see this as his last job in the game but if he finishes it with another Fa cup we can be forever grateful to good old Guus.

Lukker-

tombliboo83 wrote: »

What makes the prospect of conte coming quiet interesting is the rumours of Roma's sporting director joining him. Anybody know much about him?
Another option at a push would be Guus as director of football and f de boer or Koeman as head coach

Highly regarded and I'm fairly certain Liverpool and Spurs have already tried to poach him and failed.

He rebuilt Roma when they had high paid, under-performing players and signed some gems like Benatia and Marquinhos which went on to be sold for big profits. He's got a good eye for a player and he usually always gets value for money.

Turtwig

Think Conte is a mistake. His 3-5-2 Juve became very predictable and imo didn't play anywhere near the ability of their potential squad(s).

If ye can't get Simeone or Allegri keep Guus.

GavRedKing

Turtwig wrote: »

Think Conte is a mistake. His 3-5-2 Juve became very predictable and imo didn't play anywhere near the ability of their potential squad(s).

If ye can't get Simeone or Allegri keep Guus.

If we get Conta, theres zero chance he'll go with 3-5-2 in the English game.

Its very much an Italian system and as you mentioned, would restrict and make it predictable.

We dont have the FBs to work as wing backs and our wingers are not defensively sound enough to be converted, well, maybe Willian could but that would nullify him in the attacking 3rd to much.

I'd say we'd go 4-3-3 or 4-3-1-2 if he wanted to keep his 3 CMs.

I'd also imagine, if he is interviewed about the job he'll give details about his approach and hwo he intends to use and improve in an already very good squad, if the club dont like it or cant get him to evolve, he wont be here in June.

Lukker-

Turtwig wrote: »

Think Conte is a mistake. His 3-5-2 Juve became very predictable and imo didn't play anywhere near the ability of their potential squad(s).

If ye can't get Simeone or Allegri keep Guus.

I disagree, he brought them from 7th to 3 scudetto's in a row. Quarter finals in his first season in the CL, knocked out by the eventual winners. In his second season they disappointed.

His 3-5-2 was played out of necessity. He wanted to play 4-3-3 but didn't have any wingers even though he begged Marotta to sign them for 2 consecutive summers. He played to the strengths of his team, the 3-5-2 allowed for Pirlo to shine, the attacking full backs to get forward and the position where they were strongest, central defence became their bedrock.

Allegri has largely stuck to Conte's system, he tried to switch from the 3-5-2 but ended up going back to it every time. The difference is Allegri has more options to work with, namely the team has a natural goal scorer now in Dybala and Tevez before him, and Pogba has hit his stride as a top player.

Conte built that Juve team, Allegri has only tweaked it. I think he's the perfect man for a rebuild job.

grumpymunster

Lukker- wrote: »

I disagree, he brought them from 7th to 3 scudetto's in a row. Quarter finals in his first season in the CL, knocked out by the eventual winners. In his second season they disappointed.

His 3-5-2 was played out of necessity. He wanted to play 4-3-3 but didn't have any wingers even though he begged Marotta to sign them for 2 consecutive summers. He played to the strengths of his team, the 3-5-2 allowed for Pirlo to shine, the attacking full backs to get forward and the position where they were strongest, central defence became their bedrock.

Allegri has largely stuck to Conte's system, he tried to switch from the 3-5-2 but ended up going back to it every time. The difference is Allegri has more options to work with, namely the team has a natural goal scorer now in Dybala and Tevez before him, and Pogba has hit his stride as a top player.

Conte built that Juve team, Allegri has only tweaked it. I think he's the perfect man for a rebuild job.

Yea agree with that it has been said that Conte's biggest ability is to suite a system to the players he has at his disposal and also that they need to be tactically aware so as they can change during the course of a game. Anyone who takes a team that finished 7th two seasons on the trot to win 3 championships on the trot must have some idea what they are about.
But if he is teh new manager time will tell.

GavRedKing

grumpymunster wrote: »

Yea agree with that it has been said that Conte's biggest ability is to suite a system to the players he has at his disposal and also that they need to be tactically aware so as they can change during the course of a game. Anyone who takes a team that finished 7th two seasons on the trot to win 3 championships on the trot must have some idea what they are about.
But if he is teh new manager time will tell.

I'd still prefer Simeone but replacing Jose with Simeone may grate on a few pf the players.

If theyre not going to buy into Joses antics long term theyve no chance on Simeone.

Be interesting to see next year what a league with Pep, Conte, Jose and Wenger will look like.

grumpymunster

I am still not sure regarding Simeone I just wonder if he and AM are a marriage made in heaven so would he be able to transfer this to us I really am not sure.

Any how's Martin Atkinson for the game against Saints hope his brainfarts ala the Burnley challenge on Matic are well cleared out now

grumpymunster

I am still not sure regarding Simeone I just wonder if he and AM are a marriage made in heaven so would he be able to transfer this to us I really am not sure.

Any how's Martin Atkinson for the game against Saints hope his brainfarts ala the Burnley challenge on Matic are well cleared out now

peteeeed

https://twitter.com/chelstransfer/status/702962388425940993

GavRedKing

So....Conte is meant to be all but done.

If true, it gives him a good few months to watch the side, see what he wants in or out and shouldnt effect his run up to the Euros with Italy.

HalloweenJack

Hopefully. I'll admit I wasn't particularly thrilled when he was linked with us but the more I think about it, the more I like it.

He is a really good coach and I think he's done a lot more than Allegri. I would love to get Simeone but it'd be impossible to uproot him from Atleti.

GavRedKing

I'm just delighted that we wont get burdened with Pellegrini, well, I hope we dont anyway and that Conte signs up.

Lukker-

GavRedKing wrote: »

I'm just delighted that we wont get burdened with Pellegrini, well, I hope we dont anyway and that Conte signs up.

It was known that Allegri was committed to Juve months ago, supposedly the only candidates for a while now were Simeone and Conte.

Don't worry yourself

Lukker-

Delighted all the English teams got through the Europa league.

It's good for the league in general and it also has the added benefit of more Thursday night games for the teams above us.

I'd go all out versus Southampton as it is very likely that the teams who were playing in Europe midweek will drop points.

duploelabs

I hope Conte has his shopping list in and they're working on it

GavRedKing

Lukker- wrote: »

Delighted all the English teams got through the Europa league.

It's good for the league in general and it also has the added benefit of more Thursday night games for the teams above us.

I'd go all out versus Southampton as it is very likely that the teams who were playing in Europe midweek will drop points.

Saints have like 45 or 6 clean sheets in a row dont they?

It'll be a tough game for us, would love a win though and outr 1st back to back win....and its nearly March.

Lukker-

It's gonna be a draw lol

everyone else will probably draw too though

Lukker-

Andrea Pirlo excerpt from his autobiography I think, Therefore I play on Conte

‘I consider myself particularly fortunate: I know Antonio Conte. I’ve worked with a lot of coaches in my time, and he’s the one who surprised me the most. One little speech, a few simple words, was all it took for him to win me over. Me and the whole of Juventus, a planet we disembarked on pretty much at the same time. On the first day of our training camp up in the mountains at Bardonecchia, he got everyone together in the gym to introduce himself. He had some venom ready for us and the altitude wasn’t causing him any trouble. I suppose that’s just how vipers roll.
"Lads, we’ve finished seventh each of the last two seasons. Crazy stuff; absolutely appalling. I’ve not come here for that. It’s time we stopped being crap."
After only a few minutes, he’d stripped away all the mystery. One thing in particular was very obvious: he was like a bear with a sore head. As we Italians say, ‘Aveva un diavolo per capello’ – ‘he’d a devil for hair’, and if the hair was fake then the devil was 100% real and made from a material that’s impossible to replicate. "Every single person here has performed badly over the last few seasons. We need to do whatever it takes to pull ourselves up and start being Juve again. Turning round this ship is not a polite request; it’s an order, a moral obligation. You guys need to do only one thing and it’s pretty simple: follow me."
Our first impression was absolutely correct. When Conte speaks, his words assault you. They crash through the doors of your mind, often quite violently, and settle deep within you. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve found myself saying: "Hell, Conte said something really spot-on again today." "And listen carefully, boys, because I’m not finished. Get it into your heads that we must return to the levels where we belong, the ones that are written into the history of this club. It would be criminal for us not to finish in the top three this year."
Naturally we won the Scudetto at the first time of asking and it was all down to him. The success was all his, a triumph of bloody mindedness that went beyond everyone’s expectations. It really couldn’t have gone any other way, given the example we had in front of us every day. Conte was like a man possessed, the very essence of Juventus burned deep into his soul.
"You all need the same anger as me. Full stop." His message was short and to the point, a bit like a telegram – certainly the most convincing one that I’ve ever received. He’s not a guru, Conte, nor is he a magician, for all he’s been known to pull some crazy speeches out of the hat. You either do what he says or you don’t play. He runs on Conte-time and so do we. He obsesses over every last detail, exploiting it to his advantage. When he’s looking at tactics, he’ll have us watching videos for hours, explaining over and over again where and why we got a move wrong. He’s plainly allergic to error (perhaps to horror as well) and I for one pray every day that a cure is never found.
Out on the training pitches at Vinovo, quite often we’ll end up winning, for the simple reason that we’re not playing against anyone. From Monday to Friday, the opposition don’t exist. He’ll have us playing games of 11 versus none, making us repeat the same moves for three-quarters of an hour, until he sees they’re working and that we’re starting to feel sick. And that’s why we still win when it’s 11 against 11. If Arrigo Sacchi was a genius, then what does that make Conte? I was expecting him to be good, but not this good. I thought he’d be a tough, committed, charismatic kind of coach, but plenty of other managers could learn a lot from him in terms of his technical and tactical awareness.
If I could go back in time, I’d change only one thing: I wouldn’t pick the spot next to Buffon in our dressing room. It’s the one right in front of the door, and the most dangerous spot in the whole of Turin, especially at halftime. Even when we’re winning, Conte comes in and hurls against the wall (and thus my little corner) anything he can lay his hands on, almost always full bottles of water. Fizzy water. Very fizzy water.It’s really quite a rage. He’s never happy – there’s always some small detail that’s not quite right in his mind. He can see in advance what might happen in the 45 minutes still to come. This one time, for instance, we were losing to Milan and he just couldn’t make sense of it. "Losing to them! Them! I can’t understand why we’re not beating them! They’re not even playing well!"
It’s a different story at the end of a match: he tends to disappear completely. At a push, he’ll come in for a quick word, but only if we’ve won. He’s at his worst at night when he’s alone with his thoughts. He necks these horrible concoctions to help him sleep, almost like he’s actually just played the game. He was the exact same when he did play. He struggles to sleep and goes over and over everything, then hits the rewind button in his head and does it all again. It’s an inner torment without a start or end point, a song on some kind of loop where you can’t tell what’s the first verse and what’s the last, you can only make out the chorus. He’s completely immersed in his job, which is also his great pleasure. I’ve never quite understood whether it’s the coach or the fan who takes up position in the dugout, but either way it’s someone who makes a difference.

grumpymunster

So if Conte is to be the new manager then will Dwayne be given another shot?

https://www.whoscored.com/News/YmgoL-dTgkG5vk299cNAzA/Show/?

Lukker-

grumpymunster wrote: »

So if Conte is to be the new manager then will Dwayne be given another shot?

https://www.whoscored.com/News/YmgoL-dTgkG5vk299cNAzA/Show/?

I doubt he wants to come back.

It could suit considering he'd be capable of playing wing back in 3-5-2 but I don't really see us playing that.

Hopefully Conte being willing to take him back puts pressure on Juve to sign him, they have been faffing us about trying to get a reduced rate.