Chelsea 'are ready to fight' so Antonio Conte does not suffer the same fate as Jose Mourinho, says Thibaut Courtois
- Chelsea survived a scare in a hard-fought 4-2 win over Watford at the weekend
- The champions are showing frailties similar to in Jose Mourinho's final season
- Thibaut Courtois says Chelsea's stars 'remember what happened two years ago'
- Goalkeeper vows that players will fight for themselves and boss Antonio Conte
Thibaut Courtois says Chelsea's stuttering stars will 'fight' to keep Antonio Conte from the sack after showing worrying similarities to Jose Mourinho's final season at Stamford Bridge.
The Premier League champions dodged a fourth consecutive game without a win with a thrilling comeback against Watford on Saturday, but not without displaying some familiar frailties.
Having surrendered a two-goal lead against Roma and been beaten by basement club Crystal Palace in the week previous, Chelsea again looked vulnerable as the Hornets' profligacy cost them in a 4-2 turnaround.
Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has thrown his backing behind manager Antonio Conte
Courtois witnesses a post-title collapse at Chelsea when Jose Mourinho was sacked in 2015
CHELSEA 15-16 | CHELSEA 17-18 | |
---|---|---|
3 | Wins | 5 |
2 | Draws | 1 |
4 | Defeats | 3 |
11 | Points | 16 |
14 | Goals for | 17 |
17 | Goals against | 10 |
-3 | Goal difference | 7 |
Goalkeeper Courtois, a survivor of the squad who produced a lifeless title defence under Mourinho back in 2015, says the present-day group will battle to turn things around.
The now-Manchester United manager was sacked in December of that year, but Courtois says Chelsea's players will not let Conte suffer the same fate.
'We are ready to fight for the coach,' the Belgian stopper told the Evening Standard. 'I remember what happened two years ago under Jose Mourinho and things started to be said, there were stories about the dressing room without knowing what was happening.
'In 2015 [under Mourinho] we wanted to fight as well but the game didn't turn out well for us, there was too much bad luck. Sometimes different things happened.
'But we are showing we want to fight again now, firstly as a group of players. We want to win games. Some of us remember what happened two years ago and we don't want the same thing to happen.'
With their midfield stretched by injury and Conte's back three struggling for form, Chelsea have become a team whose weaknesses have been well-targeted by their opponents.
Courtois says Chelsea's stars will 'fight' to make sure that their title defence does not crumble
They were regularly cut open by Watford but then showed impressive mental strength to ride through their own uncertainty to claim victory with second-half goals from Michy Batshuayi and Cesar Azpilicueta on Saturday.
Conte says his case is 'different' from his predecessors at Chelsea, who have tended to face the sack as soon as difficulties arise.
'I am not like the previous managers,' the Italian said. 'I am different. I am different. It is important to understand this.'
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