We can’t keep changing managers every time we have a bad spell.
Agreed.
But is this really the club vision we want right now?
Even when popular managers have gone - Poch, Big Martin Jol, Redknapp - there has been an air of sadness because it has been really enjoyable in the not too distant past.
You can't say that with Conte.
It also seems like he's lost the dressing room:
The Richi comments
The less than glowing endorsements from players in interviews, and just lip service instead
Yesterday's staying in the dressing room
The very recent emergency team meeting
The performances and on pitch atmosphere when Stellini was overseeing things instead of Conte.
In isolation those can all be explained away. They are not in isolation.
That's before we get in to the contract situation.
It isn't working. We've tried the "big club" model - we need to realise that's not where we are. We need to be more like Sevilla or A.Madrid and build with a clear ethos and identity, rather than trying to be Chelsea.
In a weird way I think our off field success has been a negative - it's like a runner buying the best trainers and thinking they'll massively improve performance instead of understanding it's just small gains, and the vision and training are what drives the increase. He'll get injured along that journey; we've spent a few years now with nigling injuries.