TWO years ago I sat in the press conference room at Wembley Stadium as a triumphant Louis van Gaal marched in brandishing the FA Cup.
The problem was that rumours were sweeping the gathered journalists that Manchester United had agreed to make Jose Mourinho their new manager.
He didn’t know it, but the Dutchman was out on his ear, despite the fact that United had just won the trophy for the first time since 2004.
The trigger for his dismissal was the fact his team had finished fifth in the Premier League and missed Champions League qualification on goal difference.
Next Sunday we could be replaying that scene with Antonio Conte as the star turn.
If, as expected, results don’t go in Chelsea’s favour today, the Stamford Bridge club will be playing Europa League football next season.
Chelsea are not like United when it comes to sacking unsuccessful managers. They are much, much worse!
Winning the FA Cup will not keep Conte in a job next season should he finish fifth today.
Mourinho was sacked twice the year after winning the title, Carlo Ancelotti was dumped 12 months after winning the League and Cup double and a week after finishing second.
Roberto Di Matteo was a goner five months after collecting the Champions League, Luiz Felipe Scolari and Andre Villas-Boas were ditched when it looked like they would miss the top four.
With Conte, last year’s impressive Premier League triumph will be have no bearing on the situation.
In fact, even a miracle fourth-place finish to add to a Wembley win would probably not save him.
Conte has been toast since January and he knows it.
The Italian has been at loggerheads with the board over what he perceives as a lack of backing in the transfer market since last summer when he didn’t extend his contract.
For the last few months he’s been sulky, belligerent towards his employers and generally appeared desperate to be on his way.
He will get his wish whether or not he wins the Cup because no one gets away with criticising those who run the club and, by extension, Roman Abramovich.
Anyone can see that their recruitment and retention policy is a mess and has been for years.
They let Kevin De Bruyne, Mo Salah and Romelu Lukaku slip through their fingers.
They have 30-odd players out on loan, including Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but still thought it was a good idea to buy Ross Barkley.
They have the most successful youth set-up in the country yet none of the players play for the first team.
And Conte knows that the average lifespan of a Chelsea manager under Abramovich is 80 matches.
Conte has just passed his century so he’s already well beyond his sell-by date.
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