@ianrauk @SpokeyDokey and any others who support that team.
Antonio Conte will be your new head coach, (why not manager?)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35960848
@Supersuperleeds
My guess would be that there will be a restructuring on the scouting/recruiting/development side of things with maybe the appointment of a DoF to replace Emenalo . Just a guess though.
If so I prefer this as a Head Coach still has a lot of input into what happens in terms of player acquisition but has more time to concentrate on the first team development and management.
Clearly Chelsea need a major refocus on first team development in light of the *iss poor performance this season - part of this was down to appalling recruitment (lack of obtaining our key targets and the transfer in of some dodgy players) in the last summer transfer window, JM's absolute meltdown (I hold him about 80% responsible for our current abysmal season) and, of course, the now infamous and absurd Far East tour that was very late in pre-season and left us 2 weeks or so off the pace of most other teams in the PL on the opening day of the current season. None of this was helped by the fact that the spine of the preceding decade's very effective team was reduced to one fairly effective player (JT) and we now, like many PL teams, are mercenary central with players that have no great embedded passion for the club. Not sure how this gets fixed tbh - maybe it just is what it is and we have to find other ways of building in resilience when the chips are down. It was not too long ago that even the mighty Barcelona hated coming up against CFC as they knew we would fight until the bitter end. This season that spirit has been notably absent.
Utter *loody shambles really - I am moderately pleased that even in major 'limp' mode we are not a million miles behind LFC/MUFC/MCFC although the latter two clubs are also well below their usual best - between CFC/MUFC/MCFC this accounts for the pretty topsy-turvy state of the PL this season. Not being disparaging to the current top 3 but with these 3 aforementioned clubs on song the PL would look very different to what it does now. I accept that a lot of people like the way the table looks at the moment although I hope that Leicester & Spurs make a real go of it in the CL next season as the 4th English qualification spot is starting to look problematical due to (primarily) MUFC/CFC under-performing/not participating in the CL which is dragging the English co-efficient down quite rapidly. Both teams will need significant investment in the summer to sustain a decent PL & CL campaign next season - neither currently have strength in depth imo.
So, I prefer a Head Coach with input to transfer policy but with the main focus being on sorting out the mess that is our first team.
I think AC is a first class appointment - a no-nonsense leader who is passionate and acts as the 12th man in the tech' area.
Whilst Guus has done a decent stabilising job and given us, a now unbeatable, record run of unbeaten games in the PL this season he is very 'interim' imo and like his compatriot LVG seems to have his *rse glued to his comfy seat during games.
I much prefer the Klopp (and dare I say it, Gus Poyet) style of passion in my team's Managers (or Head Coach's!) - I want to see them fighting alongside the players and leaping and screaming at least as much as Lovely Wife & I do when we score/win.
AC is on par with these two when it comes to a spirited display during games. I also like the fact that he is very flexible with formations and may well change our same old, same old, reliance (principally) on 4-2-3-1 although this may well take a while as the recruitment of the right players will take some time.
I'm hopeful of a there or thereabouts performance under AC in the PL next season and requalification for the CL the season after next.
Sorry about the long answer!
