news Mon 5 Mar 2018 Chelsea Here Chelsea There
We round up loan action in the UK and across the globe and look at which Chelsea teams are in action in the days to come…
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Antonio Conte’s side have lost four of their last five league matches (Picture: Getty)
Olivier Giroud insists Antonio Conte has the full backing of the Chelsea squad despite back-to-back defeats against Manchester United and Manchester City.
The Blues lost further ground in the race for the top four after a 1-0 defeat to City at the Etihad on Sunday, leaving them five points off Spurs in fifth.
The defeat means Chelsea have lost four of their last five Premier League matches and they host Crystal Palace before a daunting trip to Barcelona in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie next week.
Giroud was thrown on as a late substitute against City and the Frenchman, recently signed from Arsenal, insists.
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Chelsea are five points off fourth spot (Picture: AFP)
‘It is not a crisis.We played United & City away,’ said Giroud.
‘Obviously, we could have done better but these are not small games.We are not happy with that.
‘It is not the day and the moment to question whether we are behind the boss or not. Obviously we are behind him and together.’
The speculation over Conte’s future has intensified over recent weeks and Italy are keen on hiring him again as their national coach.
The Italian has 15 months to run on his existing deal having signed fresh terms with the club after last season’s title-winning campaign.
MORE: Pep Guardiola defends Antonio Conte over Chelsea’s display against Manchester City
Eden Hazard will not stay at Chelsea if Antonio Conte remains head coach of the Stamford Bridge club.
This is according to Tony Cascarino, the former Blues forward, who was writing in his column in Monday’s edition of The Times.
Cascarino’s claim comes one day after Hazard was forced to lead the line for Chelsea in their 1-0 defeat at Manchester City, which took Pep Guardiola’s side one step closer to the 2017/18 Premier League title.
The Belgium international, naturally a winger, has been deployed as a false nine on other occasions this year to little success.
But never has the experiment been such a failure as it was at the Etihad; Hazard was not a false nine, he was just false.
Little blame has been directed at Hazard, however, despite his poor performance.
Conte’s decision to take Chelsea to Manchester with no ambition to attack has been seen as the real problem at Stamford Bridge, as it was not the first time in 2017/18 the reigning Premier League champions have played against a ‘big’ team with no desire to do anything but defend for their lives, to withstand a siege only invited due to Conte’s negativity.
And Cascarino feels this mentality could drive Hazard out of Chelsea.
The only way Hazard will remain at the Bridge, according to Cascarino, will be if Conte himself leaves the Blues, with a more offensive manager replacing the Italian.
“The biggest damage that Antonio Conte is doing to Chelsea by asking his team to play conservatively is that the flair players will want out,” Cascarino wrote.
“If Eden Hazard has the ambition to be the best player in the world — which he does — then there is no way he will stay if you’re asking him to play like a League One forward; that’s the consequence of playing in that defensive style.
“Yes, the ugly side of the game is needed, and Manchester City’s midfielders are asked to work hard, but their overall emphasis is on attacking football, whereas Hazard will come off the pitch thinking: “What chance have I got to show what I can do?” Hazard’s idol is Zinédine Zidane. If Conte remains Chelsea manager, why would Hazard stay if Real Madrid come calling?”
Former Chelsea midfielder Ramires has confessed he would love to play for the club again.
The Brazilian left Stamford Bridge in January 2016 for around £25million to join Chinese club Jiangsu Suning.
However, the 30-year-old is now ready to leave the Far East and he has been linked with a return to Europe by joining Inter.
The San Siro club have been tracking Ramires for months and they had even hoped to do a deal in January.
But now the midfielder has revealed he would actually be keen on one day going back to Chelsea.
“There’s been lots of talk about Inter, but nothing concrete has come my way, at least until today,” Ramires told UOL Esporte.
“Everyone knows Inter are a great club and that playing in Europe again is a wish of mine, but for now I’m thinking about helping Jiangsu have a great 2018.
“Chelsea? I’ll always have special affection for them and I want to play for them again before finishing my career.
“I know the doors of Stamford Bridge will always be open to me and that wearing their jersey again would be spectacular.”
