The Daily Telegraph has a report today that says that Chelsea’s players were “bemused” by Antonio Conte’s decision to rotate the team against Huddersfield, and that those who were dropped were upset as they felt able to play.
While Conte’s decision to change the team so much is surprising, there is no way the players should be using that as an excuse. Willy Caballero was in the team because of injury, the other players who came in were Willian – in superb form, Pedro – World Cup winner, Davide Zappacosta and Alvaro Morata.
There is no way that team should not have been able to beat Huddersfield with ease. All of those players are a level above Huddersfield, and Olivier Giroud and Eden Hazard were brought on early in the second half anyway. The only goal they managed between them was a pure fluke deflection off Marcos Alonso’s face.
Those players who were out on the pitch, and those brought into the team, should be looking at themselves when placing the blame, not Antonio Conte.
