In the wake of February 6’s 4-1 humiliation at Watford, few thought the Italian would remain in situ to welcome the visit of Barcelona’s phalanx of superstars to Stamford Bridge for this blockbuster round-of-16 opener in the Champions League.
But in a show of faith, or a rare show of restraint, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich refused to pull the trigger. He will demand an instant return for this uncharacteristic patience.
Over to you, Antonio.
CONTE MUST SHOW HE CAN BE A EUROPEAN KING
A glowing reputation was in Conte’s possession when he disembarked on the King’s Road in summer 2016.
Limited Italy had delivered the best display of Euro 2016 when they dismantled Spain prior to their quarter-final exit, while the rejuvenation of his beloved Juventus had garnered three Serie A crowns and two Supercoppa Italianas.
This personal gravitas only blossomed in the months which followed. Conte’s exhibition of tactical mastery inspired a remarkable top-flight crown, at the first time of asking.
Note the glaring blind spot in this CV. A proper tilt at the Champions League – a tournament he lifted in his combative and unrelenting role in midfield for the Bianconeri during 1995/96 – had not been accomplished.
At Juve, you can forgive the quarter-final failure against eventual winners Bayern Munich in 2012/13. But dreams which froze in the tundra at Galatasaray a season later during the group stage still define the 48-year-old.
The omens now do not look great. Chelsea have won just four of their previous 12 meetings across all competitions ahead of this epic contest, while Barca remain firmly in control of La Liga despite a recent penchant for draws.
The Blues’ squad could also not be blamed for being distracted by the upcoming double header against the Manchester giants in the Premier League. This is before the second leg even comes into play.
Conte must engender clear minds about a game plan, reaffirming faith from last term’s true believers in his astonishingly effective 3-4-3 formation.
There can be no more missteps. All decisions taken present immediate consequence.
Final preparations at Cobham this afternoon! 💪 pic.twitter.com/JrRk8Te6dY
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 19, 2018
BLUES SHOULD GO BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH GIROUD
The formation should be set in stone. But the personnel is in flux.
Central to Conte’s dilemma is who to unleash at centre forward.
Summer buy Alvaro Morata’s talent cannot be doubted. Neither his critical goals in clutch wins versus United and Atletico Madrid.
Yet an eight-match barren run has been interspersed with the Spain star’s draining back complaint.
There was no belief in Michy Batshuayi throughout Morata’s previous October drought. Now, this is not the case.
France No9 Olivier Giroud has appeared emboldened since escaping the sidelines at Arsenal. He has put in a shift during all three outings to date, his endeavour being rewarded with a brace against League One-bound Hull City in the FA Cup.
A bombardment of lateral balls for Giroud would hark back to the days of Diego Costa and provide a sense of the unfamiliar to Barca.
Handing him a start is a call Conte must make.
Olivier Giroud (l) should play a big role against Barcelona.
