Conte hits out at 'stupid' Chelsea board

Cape Town - Chelsea boss Antonio Conte believes the club's philosophy of regularly sacking managers for failing to win trophies every season is short-sighted and lacks intelligence.

Conte pulled off an unlikely Premier League title win last season, in his first campaign in charge at Stamford Bridge, after he took over a Chelsea side that finished 10th in the standings in 2015/16.

However, the Blues have struggled to stay at the top of the pile this season, with Manchester City dominating the rest of the league. Chelsea are down in fifth position after losing against Bournemouth and Watford, which has increased the pressure on Conte.

The Italian tactician has implied that sacking him at this point would be a poor decision, unless the board have completely lost faith in his ability.

“You continue to work with a manager or coach not because of what he achieves in one season but because you trust in him. Then you build something with him,” Conte said in a press conference.

“But it doesn’t mean you have to win something, because that’s not simple. Not easy. Especially in England. The way I look at it, you can win but, at the same time, the club might not be happy to stay with you. In that case, it’s right to send the coach away.

"At the same time, you can trust in a coach and his work and continue with him even if you don’t win, and try and build something important.

"There are two ways. There is a stupid way and an intelligent way. This is my opinion. At the same time, I have great respect for everyone’s opinion. If the club decides to send me away, I don’t know when, it’ll be because they’re not happy with my work."

Chelsea have employed eight different managers over the last 10 years.

The Blues next face West Brom in a league clash at Stamford Bridge on Monday night with a win taking them back into a Champions League spot.

Kick-off is at 22:00 (SA time).