Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has aimed two digs at Jose Mourinho as he returns to Stamford Bridge with Manchester United this weekend.
The Blues take on the Red Devils this Sunday as they come up against their former manager in charge of the Red Devils for the first time.
Mourinho left Chelsea under something of a cloud last season, with the team languishing in 16th place after his final match in charge.
Things have improved under new boss Conte, though the Italian admits he is still struggling to improve morale even ten months after the Portuguese’s departure.
‘When there are these types of very bad seasons – because we finished 10th in the table – it’s normal that something remains in the players. In their minds. In their heads,’ the former Juventus manager explained.
‘In this situation, the risk is to lose confidence. Also, it’s very difficult because you must change what happened last season, and that’s not easy.’
In a further thinly-veiled attack on his opponent, Conte said that he would never set up his side to play like United did at Liverpool in Monday’s bore 0-0 draw.
Asked if he could envisage adopting similar tactics, he said: ‘No. I think it’s right always to play for a win, and to start a game trying to win. I try and transfer these thoughts to my players always.
‘If you play at home or away, it must be the same. You must start the game with only one target: to win. Not to play for a draw. I don’t like this. It’s not football.
‘I think that it’s also it’s important to win in the right way. Because, sometimes, we’ve won in the past with other clubs, but I wasn’t satisfied with the performance.
‘When you win it’s important to put in a good performance for our fans. To win is important, but it’s important also to play good football, to play with good intensity, to show always the will to win, the passion.’
COMMENTS