According to Gary Neville, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte should not have thanked his players for the win over Tottenham Hotspur, although he understands why.
The Blues stood strong in their game against Spurs on Sunday, all through the game where they were flooded in their own half by the in-form side from North London.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side forced Chelsea back for much of the game but Chelsea scored two vital goals through Marcos Alonso that sealed the win for Conte’s champions.
The win followed a week of intense pressure after they lost their opening Premier League game against Burnley at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea’a backs were against the wall and Conte knew it could be the beginning of his end at the club.
In Mourinho’s third season at Chelsea in his second stint, he was involved in similar circumstances as Conte, with frustrations over transfer inactivity clouding the summer after winning the Premier League title.
The odd loss, draw or disinterest from the Chelsea players could spark talk of unrest in the dressing room and gradually lead to the sack of the manager in charge, as seen in recent past.
Conte knowing this too well, was eager to avoid defeat in his first two games this season, as was thankful after the win over last season’s runner up.
Footballer-turned-pundit Gary Neville, thinks Conte should not be thankful but understands why the Italian manager had to be grateful, as it in effect buys him time at the club.
It was interesting the quotes from Antonio Conte at the end of the match, thanking his players,
I wouldn’t say he would have been shocked or surprised by what he saw yesterday, but I think with the negativity, I mentioned before the game it could unravel at Chelsea pretty quickly and he wouldn’t have known what to expect.
His players dug in, they were resilient, they stuck to the game-plan, they were everything he would have wanted to be playing against a team in far better form, far better enthusiasm and positivity, and I think Chelsea stood up to it.
They were really well tough in the game, I think every single one of them deserves credit.
Gary Neville, Daily Star
