With fourth-placed Chelsea trailing 19 points behind leaders Manchester City, Abramovich is reported to be considering replacements for Conte, with former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique strongly linked with the job. The situation quickly disintegrated as Costa refused to train with the reserves, leaving Chelsea struggling to find a buyer. Engaging in a petty feud with Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho only added to the perception that Conte was unravelling as Chelsea failed to keep pace with City in the title race. Confidence crisisFrom the very first day of the season, Chelsea, reflecting their manager's discontent, have seemed totally out of sync on the pitch. That downbeat assessment hardly inspired Conte's players, who were already reported to be chafing at his demanding training sessions and intense personality.

Source: The Nation Bangkok February 07, 2018 02:15 UTC