It has the potential to prove a self-fulfilling prophecy. Antonio Conte has taken to sighing in a rather downcast manner and his words can seem to mirror his mood.
On Friday he said: “There are many reasons which suggest that next season will be the most difficult of my career.”
Harder than 2006-07 when he was sacked as Arezzo manager in October, reinstated in March and then relegated to Serie C1? Apparently. Perhaps it is a different sort of difficulty.
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Whichever, Chelsea's summer of discontent continued in the Community Shield on Sunday.
Conte was irritated by referee Bobby Madley’s decision to dismiss Pedro at Wembley. Lip-readers could detect him saying “but why?” to the fourth official.
An appropriate answer could include a reckless and potentially dangerous challenge, even if the sanction was surprising. It nevertheless contributed to the impression the manager feels the world is conspiring against him.
Chelsea have lost out on transfer targets Romelu Lukaku, Leonardo Bonucci and Danilo this summer; perhaps Alex Sandro, too. Conte intimated he did not concur with the decision to sell Nemanja Matic.
The dumped Diego Costa remains on the books, an unwanted irritant. The manager’s message has become increasingly blunt. “We need more players,” he stated on Friday.
Managers can use teamsheets to communicate with a club’s powerbrokers. Conte seemed to do that on Sunday by fielding an 11 comprised entirely of players who were at Stamford Bridge last season.
Alvaro Morata and Antonio Rudiger came off the bench, but selecting them from the start would have disrupted the image of a team that had not been bolstered.
Conte was permitted to make six substitutions, but left three of his changes unmade as a trio of youngsters remained unused. Only Charly Musonda of the rookies took the field. It was a vote of no confidence in the others. Chelsea seemed to lack a Plan B, both in terms of personnel and an alternative to their revelatory 3-4-2-1 formation.
For various reasons, Arsenal did not field six of their premier players, in Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi.
While they only prevailed on penalties, they were the better side and, aided by replacements, they passed a test of strength in depth.
Arguably that depth is an indictment of Wenger, who has accumulated players and shows a marked reluctance to sell those who do not realise their potential.
In contrast, Chelsea have spent the summer cashing in on fringe figures, even if the chances of Conte granting them extended opportunities were remote.
But if it all showed that three months is a long time in football – it was tempting to rewind 12 weeks to the May night when a jubilant Costa celebrated winning the title by barging into the press room to bundle Conte away – it also indicated that two weeks can be an age.
Fifteen days before their Wembley reverse, Chelsea had beaten Arsenal 3-0 in Beijing. That victory was secured by a starting 11 shorn of signings. It implied that the merits of continuity, cohesion and understanding could carry Chelsea a long way, especially if allied with Conte’s capacity to use additions intelligently, as he did with David Luiz, Marcos Alonso and N’Golo Kante last season.
Perhaps, in time, Morata, Rudiger and the currently injured Tiemoue Bakayoko will be integrated as effectively. For now, and while it is pertinent that Uefa Champions League commitments mean he needs a bigger squad, the difference is the Italian’s disposition.
Conte actually endured a summer of frustration last year – Luiz and Alonso were late recruits, seemingly from further down shortlists – but it was camouflaged better.
The manager had a point to prove. He showed his resourcefulness, his tactical expertise and training-ground prowess to reconfigure Chelsea in such a way that they became champions.
That can-do attitude may be required again. In the dark days of his final few months, Jose Mourinho talked himself into trouble. Verbal negativity contributed to a downward spiral. Conte has to ensure history does not repeat itself.
Sri Lanka squad
Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Niroshan Dickwella, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milinda Siriwardana, Roshen Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Charith Asalanka, Shaminda Eranga and Dhammika Prasad.
Who is Ramon Tribulietx?
Born in Spain, Tribulietx took sole charge of Auckland in 2010 and has gone on to lead the club to 14 trophies, including seven successive Oceania Champions League crowns. Has been tipped for the vacant New Zealand national team job following Anthony Hudson's resignation last month. Had previously been considered for the role.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira), Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah), Mahmoud Khamis (Al Nasr), Yousef Jaber (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalifa Al Hammadi (Jazira), Salem Rashid (Jazira), Shaheen Abdelrahman (Sharjah), Faris Juma (Al Wahda), Mohammed Shaker (Al Ain), Mohammed Barghash (Wahda), Abdulaziz Haikal (Shabab Al Ahli), Ahmed Barman (Al Ain), Khamis Esmail (Wahda), Khaled Bawazir (Sharjah), Majed Surour (Sharjah), Abdullah Ramadan (Jazira), Mohammed Al Attas (Jazira), Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl), Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Khalfan Mubarak (Jazira), Habib Fardan (Nasr), Khalil Ibrahim (Wahda), Ali Mabkhout (Jazira), Ali Saleh (Wasl), Caio (Al Ain), Sebastian Tagliabue (Nasr).
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request