We have a problem – Conte accepts Chelsea boos

Antonio Conte acknowledged Chelsea’s boo boys and said the struggling Premier League champions have a problem following their 1-1 draw with West Ham.

Chelsea’s faint hopes of finishing in the top four and securing Champions League qualification were all but dashed by London rivals West Ham, who earned a share of the spoils at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Javier Hernandez punished Chelsea’s wastefulness with 17 minutes remaining after Cesar Azpilicueta’s first-half opener for Chelsea.

The result – following last week’s forgettable 3-1 loss at home to Tottenham – left Chelsea 10 points adrift of fourth-placed Spurs in fifth position as the Blues were booed by their supporters.

Asked about the boos post-match, head coach Conte said: “For sure, for sure, there is disappointment.

“I think this is normal. Because we must be disappointed with the final result.

“After a game like this, you have to get three points. Instead, we are talking about a draw. About one point, but this is not the first time.

“We are paying a lot this season for this type of situation. When this happens with regularity, it means you have a problem.”

A point apiece at the Bridge…

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— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 8, 2018

Chelsea have only won one of their past five Premier League matches as Conte’s men watch their Champions League hopes evaporate with six matches remaining.

“We must be realistic. If we are not able to win this type of game, we are talking about what? About what? I like to continue to say ‘we need to continue to work and improve’, but you must win this game if you want to reach a target,” the Italian replied when asked about finishing in the top four.

“In this case, if we wanted to reach a place in the Champions League. Because the other teams are clinical. They create chances, they are ready to suffer and win the game. At the end of the season, I think we’ll have struggled a lot and this game describes our whole season.”