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Antonio Conte is reported to have the full backing of the Chelsea board despite the club’s Halloween nightmare in Rome in the Champions League.
The Premier League champions were well beaten 3 – 0 on the night, and have slipped behind Roma in their Group standings, whilst their hopes of retaining their domestic crown are fading fast with Manchester City already 9 points ahead of them in the table.
The Chelsea board are not renowned for their loyalty to managers when times get tough – as Roberto di Matteo, Anders Villas Boas, and even Jose Mourinho can attest – but, in this case are said to have sympathy with Conte’s position. Injuries have taken a big toll on the squad this season, with N’Golo Kante and Victor Moses currently sidelined, and the likes of Eden Hazard, Alvaro Morata and Danny Drinkwater still working their way back to full fitness. In addition, a number of the summer signings, like Tiemoue Bakayoko and Antonio Rudiger are still finding their feet in the Premier League.
It looks like Conte’s job is safe – for the time being at least!
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.