Chelsea's Antonio Conte doesn't fear sack: 'I don't have this type of worry'

Published on: 23 October 2017

Craig Burley analyses the key fixtures from Saturday's Premier League action, including Man United's shock defeat.

LONDON -- Antonio Conte insisted that he is not like the previous Chelsea managers sacked by Roman Abramovich and does not fear losing his job after watching his team battle to a 4-2 win over Watford at Stamford Bridge.

Michy Batshuayi came off the substitutes' bench to score twice against Marco Silva's men, who led 2-1 early in the second half and missed two huge chances through Richarlison to secure a famous win before Chelsea's late fightback.

The result was timely for Chelsea after back-to-back defeats in the Premier League, but also important for Conte, coming at the end of a week in which reports claimed that unrest among his players and tensions with the club's hierarchy had put his position as head coach in significant doubt.

When it was suggested that Chelsea, under previous managers, might have collapsed at 2-1 down, Conte said: "I am not like the previous managers. I am different. It is important to understand this.

"The club has to judge the work and honestly, I don't have this type of worry [about] if I lose the game, if the club decides to sack me.

"In the past, the club decided after two losses or three bad games to sack a manager. I don't think it is the same for every manager. You change the person, change the work. I repeat: If you ask if I feel this type of pressure, it is zero."

Antonio Conte isn't afraid of getting sacked.

Chelsea also came back from a goal down to claim a 3-3 draw against Roma on Wednesday after surrendering a two-goal lead, and after the Watford win captain Gary Cahill insisted that until the Premier League champions rediscover their best form, their resilience will be even more important.

"It's easy to play football when everything is going well and you are winning games back to back, winning, winning," he insisted. "It's the best feeling ever, you can go out there and express yourself you feel like you are not going to make mistakes.

"The hardest thing is when things are not going so well, and you have got to dig in and get results. When you're in a difficult moment, the mood is obviously going to be slightly down, because everyone is going to be disappointed and they want to win.

"When things are going well, everyone's coming into training, having a lot of banter and joking about and enjoying things, and when you are not, it's not that feeling, because the expectation level is to win. That is natural.

"That's why there is no better feeling than getting a win and then getting a bit of consistency. Getting some consistency, some games won and getting back-to-back wins, and all of a sudden you notice that [the pressure] lifts."

Chelsea's busy October schedule offers no respite with Everton next to visit Stamford Bridge on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup, and Conte admitted that he will look to the fringes of his squad when picking his starting XI.

"I think for the game against Everton, it is impossible to recover for [Danny] Drinkwater, [Victor] Moses needs more time and [N'Golo] Kante," he added. "But I think this could be a good opportunity to give a chance to the young player like Charly Musonda, also Kenedy, young players who I think deserve the chance.

"They are working very hard, they are improving and we can see the improvement against Everton, which is a tough game. It is important for me, important for the club. We will do this."

Liam is ESPN FC's Chelsea correspondent. Follow him on Twitter: @Liam_Twomey.

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Source: espn.co.uk

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