ANTONIO CONTE CLAIMS Chelsea have no chance of an FA Cup final victory over Manchester United unless they improve quickly after questioning the desire of his players.
The Italian has demanded a vast improvement after a 3-0 defeat at Newcastle on Sunday ended a disappointing Premier League season which has seen last year’s title winners fail to qualify for the Champions League.
Conte’s side have a chance to atone for a below-par fifth-place finish — which condemned them to a place in next season’s Europa League — when they face United at Wembley on 19 May.
In what is widely expected to be Conte’s last game in charge as Chelsea come up against former manager Jose Mourinho, the 48-year-old acknowledged his side need to up their levels in all departments to have any hope of clinching the trophy for the first time since 2012.
“We wanted to end the season in the best possible way, but we can do better than this,” he said.
“For that, I’m the first to answer for this bad game. Newcastle showed greater desire and fight, and if we play like this in the FA Cup final we don’t have a chance.
“We have six days to change our approach, our desire, our will to fight because we can do much better.”
Conte contradicted reports the Cup final will bring the curtain down on his two-year reign.
He has 12 months left on his current contract, and when questioned about his future, the former Italy coach added: “I have a contract, I’m committed and the club know very well the situation.
“Will Saturday be my last match? No, I don’t think it will be. The most important thing is the club, not speculation about me.”
Chelsea needed a victory at Newcastle to have any chance of fulfilling their slim hopes of a top four finish, but they were well below par and ended with 23 fewer points than their title-winning campaign 12 months ago.
“To finish fifth is a big disappointment. How damaging is it not to be in the Champions League? You’ll have to ask the club about that,” Conte added.
Newcastle sealed an impressive 10th-place finish on their return to the top-flight thanks to two second-half goals from Ayoze Perez after Dwight Gayle opened the scoring before the interval.
Question marks also remain over the future of Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez, who is set for key talks with the club’s owner Mike Ashley in the next week to discuss his potential summer transfer budget as he looks to build on an encouraging campaign.
“That reception I received from our supporters at the end makes me really proud,” admitted Benitez, who was serenaded by 50,000 fans at the final whistle demanding he remains in charge.
The Champions League-winning former Liverpool manager ranks his achievement in guiding Newcastle to a top half finish among the highlights of his glittering coaching career.
With a year remaining on his contract, Benitez added: “Maybe this achievement could be close to the top trophies that I’ve won.
“If we want to achieve something, then we have to understand what we need to achieve that. We have to sit down talk and see where we are.
“We have to be sure we do the right things. The fans have ambitions, we have ambitions and we need to know if everyone has the same feeling.
“We’re still talking and we will see what happens.”
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Sure pogba showed his leadership by slotting two penalties.west ham were the way better team and Anderson or rice was the deserving man of the match
@Ings on Fire: and yet the 3 points stay in Manchester! All about results this time of year
@Brian Dunne: tell me when there in the semi finals of Champions legue
@Ings on Fire: ings your having your cake and eating it here. Utd aint good enough at the top level. Only one team will win the league and c league and fair chance barce could win both.
@Derek Trotter: Derek u may be right but I think myself liverpool will do the double
@Ings on Fire: or city or juve …
@Derek Trotter: myself now I think this weekend will say a lot about Liverpool and city and I would fancy Ajax to beat juve
@Ings on Fire: defo big day tommo two sticky fixtures for top two. Loved watching ajax and hope they beat juve, just fancy juve with the players they have. Very experienced in these games plus ronaldo
@Derek Trotter: I think Liverpool will pull through tomorrow and so will city it’s the game where city play United will define the season
@Ings on Fire: yet again your having your cake, ya dont rate united but ya think they can do city. Cant see utd beating them, dont have the leaders !
@Derek Trotter: United are a team which can loose to mediocre teams and show up on the big stage
@Ings on Fire: might beat barce so !!!!!
@Derek Trotter: i think Messi will come out straight away in the second leg a fairness to smalling he didn’t do to bad
@Ings on Fire: your going soft now! Lfc v barce juve v city, 4 best teams in europe tbf. Im going juve to win it
@Derek Trotter: no Barca will beat United but Liverpool can rip teams apart and I would expect them to beat juve in the final
@Ings on Fire: the fact lfc have yet to win anything as a team is my only reason to doubt them. Great team love watching them but lack of trophies why i back the others
@Derek Trotter: I respect your opinion Derek but I think this liverpool team is different from last year or any other year or weakness was or backline now we’ve the best defender in the world in van dijk and a keeper who has kept the most clean sheets on the premier league or front three are world class and we have depth in midfield
@Ings on Fire: if lfc win either pl or cl this year they could go on to dominate but its in with the big boys now. Van dyke,Taa, allison and robertson absolute world class. So are ronaldo, augero, messi and suarez thats why its squeeky bum time. Your midfield aint quite at it compared to the other teams, sorry.
@Derek Trotter: the best is still to come from Keita scores in last two games Fabinho is up there with the best defensive midfielders and oxlade chamberlain to come back who was exceptional last season wijnaldum is steady in midfield and Millners experience
@Ings on Fire: all good pros no doubt about it. Dont think the ox will be back this season, you would hope the best is to come from kieta. Tbf ya cant question your back 4 or top 3 but nobody world class in that midfield.
@Ings on Fire: stop smoking what your shoveling , not doubt about van dyke , but take him out and your keeper would be heavily exposed
@David Weston: I agree
@David Weston: that’s how teams work, mug. Kind of like taking De Gea out of United and exposing the other 10
@John Strahan: thanks John
@Derek Trotter: beside city away, not many have out played that lfc midfield!
@Ings on Fire: @Derek Trotter
Good discussion there boys. I enjoyed reading that. Fair play.
@Nollaig Elliot: A shambles of a conversation
@Alonso:
Why so horse?
@Nollaig Elliot: I had to intervene last night as I suspected it was just the one lad having a conversation with himself
The Jammy United are back!
Yep…Defo winning the league next year…