'I cannot predict the future' - Antonio Conte says Chelsea players looked confused in defeat to Watford

Vaishali Bhardwaj6 February 2018

Antonio Conte concedes that turning Chelsea's poor results around will be difficult as the Italian admitted to seeing "confusion" in his players' performance against Watford on Monday night.

Chelsea looked on course to secure a point at Vicarage Road after Eden Hazard restored parity with eight minutes to go following Troy Deeney's first-half penalty.

But Conte's side capitulated and conceded three goals in seven minutes to lose 4-1 to Watford - just five days after they were beaten 3-0 at home by Bournemouth.

Such have been Chelsea's poor performances in the past week that Conte admitted to being unable to say for sure whether he can get his side back to winning ways.

In Pictures | Watford vs Chelsea | 05/02/2018

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But the Italian insisted he will do all he can to turn things around at Chelsea.

Speaking to reporters at Vicarage Road on Monday, Conte said: "I cannot predict the future. Especially after two bad defeats like this.

"We played against Bournemouth and lost 3-0, and now against Watford and lost 4-1. Now it's very difficult to predict turning the situation into a positive, but I can promise to work to change the situation.

"But, I repeat, today our performance... the level of our performance was very poor."

Chelsea went a man down after just 30 minutes when Tiemoue Bakayoko was sent off for two bookable offences - yellow cards he received within a five-minute spell.

Chelsea have lost three of their last four in all competitions
AFP/Getty Images

But Conte refused to blame the red card as the reason for Chelsea's downfall, insisting that "fear" and "confusion" played a bigger role.

"We started very badly and without personality. We played with fear. I think so. We are not used to play this type of football. We can lose, but always we have to try to play football and to try to be positive," he said.

"Instead, we started very badly. Then the yellow cards... they didn't change the situation, but the situation because serious. Also because, then, it was the penalty. Then when you go 1-0 down in this type of situation with 10 men, it's very difficult to come back.

“The second half I saw a great will, a great desire, but a lot of confusion too. We were able to draw (level), and I think, in that moment, we must be good to manage the situation. To understand the moment. A great team must do this.

"Instead, in 10 minutes, we were able to concede three more goals. It's right, everyone must take responsibility: me, the players. It's normal, it's normal this.

"For sure, to play for 65 minutes with 10 men, it wasn't easy. It wasn't easy.

“We played with no personality. From the start, I didn't see confidence to play football. Usually we train and we play football with confidence. Sometimes we also take risks. Today, our start was very poor. We started with fear. I think this is the worst situation that I can see as a coach."

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