Antonio Conte Feeling The Heat Ahead Of Jose Mourinho Showdown

When Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho locked horns last Autumn for the first time in English football it was the Italian who comprehensively triumphed, humiliating his rival - on his former stomping ground - to such an extent that a seething Mourinho lambasted him in a hostile exchange at the final whistle.
It’s been just over a year since Chelsea hammered Man Utd 4-0 at Stamford Bridge, in a result which kick-started the Blues’ title charge, while it left the Red Devils dangling down in 7th place. In the end Conte stormed to the Premier League title in his debut season, whereas Mourinho had to settle for 6th spot, although he did win a treble of sorts….

The duo renew their rivalry on Sunday afternoon in different circumstances. Conte heads into the match under pressure following a stuttering start to Chelsea’s title defence in which they have lost three of their opening 10 games. But, while a confidence-boosting win this weekend would reduce the gap between the defending champions and United to a single point, a defeat would cut them seven points adrift, and worst still it could leave them a whopping 12 points behind leaders Man City.
Mourinho gained a small slither of revenge for that 4-0 defeat in April’s 2-0 victory at Old Trafford, but the result ultimately meant little in the grand scheme of things, meaning the Portuguese coach will view Sunday’s showdown as the perfect opportunity to kick Conte when he’s down.

Conte has undoubtedly been hindered by injuries to key players this term, but this is part and parcel of being a football manager, and something that happens to all bosses. Player power has always been a problem at Chelsea, with reports indicating that a number of Conte's troops are unhappy with his training and methods, but if this is the case the Italian needs to quickly find a way to lift his side following a heavy 3-0 Champions League defeat to Roma.

the relationship between Conte and owner Roman Abramovich is in tatters, with the ruthless Russian on the verge of changing managers for the 12th time in 14 seasons. The Sack Race has already gobbled up and spat out three managers this season, and at the time of writing Conte is priced at 10/1 to be its next victim.

Title-winning managers have suffered a dismal fate in recent years, with the likes of Mourinho, Claudio Ranieri, Roberto Mancini, Carlo Ancelotti all discarded within a year of leading their respective clubs to the summit of English football, while Sir Alex Ferguson retired after winning his 13th and final title.

Conte will be hoping he doesn’t follow this trend and be sent to the guillotine in the next couple of weeks...