Conte on Burnley, his Italy trip, Man Utd’s title hopes, Hazard, Willian and ‘warrior’ Luiz
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte was asked about a number of issues at his press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Burnley. Here’s some of what he had to say.
On Burnley
“It will be a really tough game. We must pay great attention because the stats show Burnley are a really strong team at home.
“They’re third in the table for games played at home – we are first with 33 points, Tottenham are second with 32 and Burnley are third.
“It’s a fantastic achievement for them. I warned my players because if you don’t face this game in the right way, anything can happen.
“We are preparing very well for this game. My players know really well the game that we will face.
“It’s important to know the strengths and the weaknesses of the team you go to face. We have studied them very well.
“They fight a lot, they play a lot of long balls and put a lot of pressure on when you have the ball”
On Burnley’s ex-Brentford striker Andre Gray
“Gray is a really good player, very clever, he’s always in the right position when they win second balls to attack the space in the defensive line.”
On the benefit or otherwise of playing after title rivals
“Whether we play before or the others play before us, the pressure is the same. If our opponents win it reduces the gap, if they don’t you have the possibility to take more points.
“I think that until the end of the season you have to live with this type of pressure.
“But it’s important to think about ourselves and our game against Burnley. Now we are at the top of the table so we can count only on our game. Then, if good news arrives about the other teams, we’ll be happy but we must count on ourselves.”
On whether Manchester United are still in the title race
“Honestly, I think there are six teams who are very strong and can fight to win the title.
“Manchester United have a great squad. If we think that we have a nine-point lead and we are very close to winning the title it’s a great mistake.
“There are 14 games to play and five teams, with Chelsea the sixth, who can fight to win the title. It’s important we don’t make mistakes in this race.”
On whether his return to Juventus this week was a business trip
“No, only fun! [It was] a bit of relaxation after a very intense week, with FA Cup, then Liverpool and Arsenal – so to watch a game totally relaxed was very good for me, and to come back into a stadium I know very well was very good. It was a good experience.”
On his players’ time off
“After the game against Arsenal I wanted to give them one day off because I thought they deserved it. We’d had an intense week with three games in seven days.
“There are different moments – there are the moments you must work very hard and sometimes there is a moment it’s important to have one, two or three days off, to relax with your family, to come back fresher and start to work very hard.
“We know our results depend on our work. It’s good if the players want to go and relax in different countries – the most important thing for me is that they come back in the right way, with the right attitude and the right behaviour.”
On the difficulty of playing lower-ranked sides
“Honestly, in England, if you ask me before a match if it will be an easy game my reply is always the same – there aren’t easy games and we have lots of examples of teams at the bottom who win and draw.
“For this reason it’s important to have always great concentration and great focus and to be ready to fight to try to win, if you want to win the title at the end.
“If your ambition is to stay in the top four or top six, you can have highs and lows. If you want to win [the title] you must have always the same concentration, good focus and know that in every game you can lose points.”
On why Eden Hazard came off against Arsenal
“When I make a substitution there is always a reason. Sometimes I try to preserve some players. Sometimes there is a tactical choice.
“In the last game, I wanted to give him the great applause of our fans because I think he deserved this, for the game that he played – not only with the ball, but above all without the ball.”
On Hazard’s value
“I’m not going to put a price on a player. Eden, for sure, is a great player, a top player. He’s in a very high level but I don’t see the problem because we don’t want to sell him. He hasn’t a price now.”
On David Luiz
“He’s fit. He’s playing with a little pain in his knee but he’s a warrior and I think he’s playing very well.
“I’m pleased for him. He’s showing me great attitude, [and a] great will to continue to fight despite sometimes having a bit of pain.”
On whether Cesc Fabregas and Willian may return
“There is this possibility because we are talking about two great players in good form.
“To have, in this moment, Cesc and Willian on the bench or on the pitch is very important.
“Now, Pedro is playing very well, he’s in great form [but] Cesc is playing very well when he plays and also when I call him to come on.
“I have different solutions, for sure, but for me the most important thing is I can count on the squad and every single player is in good form.”
On Willian suggesting Manchester United wanted to sign him
“I don’t know about this news. For me it’s not important. The most important thing is the present, to be focused, to take the best choice for the team to try to win.”
