Big challenge awaits Conte

LONDON. — Left in the starting blocks by Chelsea’s Antonio Conte this season, the English Premier League soccer’s all-star cast of super managers will be desperate to hit the ground running in 2017-18. The 2016-17 title race was billed in some quarters as a shoot-out between Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal heading the chasing pack.

Instead it was Chelsea who shot to the front, closely pursued by Mauricio Pochettino’s enterprising Tottenham Hotspur, leaving Conte as the man who must be toppled.

“He is going to have the two Manchester clubs, who are going to be throwing £300 million to £400 million at it between them,” predicts former United captain Gary Neville, the Sky Sports pundit.

“They are hurting and they are under significant pressure next season to deliver. And if they don’t deliver there’s going to be a big problem.”

Having brought the smiles back to Stamford Bridge following the emotionally sapping final months of Mourinho’s tenure as Chelsea manager, Conte’s next challenge is to equip his squad for a return to the Champions League.

Chelsea benefited from having no European distractions, allowing Conte to lean heavily on a very tight group of first-team players, and adding depth to his squad is now of fundamental importance. “With the right additions and a little bit of time, Chelsea can really challenge for (the Champions League), but next season it is going to be a huge burden on them,” former Chelsea goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer told the BBC.

After his City side lost to Monaco in the Champions League last 16 and fell by the wayside in the two domestic cups, Guardiola achieved his minimum objective of securing a place in next season’s Champions League. City dazzled at times, but were also made to look remarkably vulnerable, notably in one-sided defeats at outgoing champions Leicester City (4-2) and Everton (4-0).

Guardiola seems content with his attacking set-up, particularly since the January arrival of Gabriel Jesus, but in defence and in goal, where Claudio Bravo vanished after arriving to replace Joe Hart, work is needed.

United won the League Cup, defeating Southampton in the final, and are favourites to beat Ajax in tomorrow night’s Europa League final, which will yield a berth in the Champions League.

But while Mourinho has brought a bit of belief back to Old Trafford, United have looked desperately short in attack, their failure to secure a top-four place the legacy of a league-high 15 drawn games.

Wenger has endured his most difficult season at Arsenal, one which divided the cub’s support and ended without the promise of Champions League football for the first time in 20 years. — AFP.