COMMENT: So what's worse Chelsea fans? Defeat at Sunderland? Or the comeback against Tottenham?
Why mention the Spurs fight-back? Because on Monday, we saw Chelsea at their snarling best. Motivated. Aggressive. Inspired. Everything they weren't on Wearside. Defeat at Sunderland is bad enough. Knowing it came just days after the Battle of the Bridge must leave Blues fans floored.
Of course, the wash-up has centred on John Terry's dismissal. Once again, the underachievers inside the locker room have ducked scrutiny, happily hiding behind another fall-guy. The worst to come from the Sunderland result wasn't Terry's red card, it was the make-up of Guus Hiddink's team. He selected his strongest line-up. All XI had Premier League winners' medals. Yet they couldn't put it together for a full 90 against a bottom three club. Antonio Conte has it all to do..
On the English side it's over. Terry is being written out of Chelsea. His Blues career ending in ignominy at the Stadium of Light.
Even in the aftermath, Nemanja Matic was speaking about his captain in past tense: "All of us in the team wish him all the best for the future. Of course this is not a good way to finish in a club, but we don't forget what he won and what he has already done."
Which is interesting from the Serb, given Conte has met with Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan about joining him London. The Belgian would arrive as a direct replacement for Matic.
On the Italian side, it's silence. Tribalfootball.com sources, the same who championed Conte's appointment before Christmas, insist nothing has been decided regarding Terry. The final decision will only be made when they're able to spend more time together, face-to-face.
Conte values experience. Particularly when it's local. He launched Juve's golden era by overseeing the arrival of Andrea Pirlo from AC Milan and building his squad with the vast majority of additions boasting Serie A experience. He's not going to push Terry out the back door. The worst the Blues captain can expect from Conte is a warning of a much limited role next season. Then it will be left to him to decide if he wants to stick around.
No matter the big names who could potentially arrive, Chelsea and Conte will be much stronger having the presence of Terry at Cobham. The locker room is hanging by a thread. Not due to cliques or in-fighting. But it's a playing group that is de-motivated and short of belief. They've never been mid-table before and are drowning. Gary Cahill mentioned it recently, the players simply believed it would turnaround for them. But it never did and they don't have the tools or experience to lean on to emerge from this mess.
Conte needs every helping hand he can grab onto. Dumping Terry, particularly as he shops in Serie A for new signings, would be madness. Adding high-priced, foreign recruits, with no Premier League experience, to a squad bereft of confidence - and with no Terry to keep it together - would be a massive, and unnecessary, gamble.
At the minute, it's a difficult situation for the Chelsea captain. But for Conte, politically, it couldn't get much better. With the local press writing Terry off, all indications are that Chelsea are refusing to offer him terms. To have Conte, riding in on his white horse, rescue the situation and keep the captain, leader, legend at the club... well, the Italian couldn't imagine a better beginning to his relationship with the Blues support.
Terry's experience and leadership matters. Those close to Conte know this. As does the manager. It hasn't made its way to the English press, but Conte has recommended Emanuele Giaccherini to Michael Emenalo, the Chelsea football director. A flop at Sunderland, Giaccherini has rebuilt his career on-loan at Bologna this season and is an outside chance for Conte's Euros squad.
The midfielder played for Conte at Juve and with his Premier League experience, is the sort of dressing room ally the coach feels he needs. Enquiries have been made, though Giaccherini is reluctant to give up the guaranteed start he has at Bologna under Roberto Donadoni.
But the message is, Conte recognises he does need Premier League know-how around him. Nainggolan, Samir Handanovic, the Inter Milan goalkeeper, and his old Juve centre-half Leonardo Bonucci all feature on Conte's summer wish-list.
Great players. Great characters. The type who would thrive in England - particularly if they're guided through a settling in process by a leader like John Terry.
INJURY TIME
Could Antonio Conte be adding Charly Musonda to his squad next season? Musonda has lit up Real Betis during his five months on-loan in Spain.
Angel Haro, the Betis president, has stated they're in talks with Chelsea about extending the Belgian's loan into next season.
But on Instagram last week, Musonda posted an image of himself and Blues star Eden Hazard, with the caption: "Soon we'll be playing together. A potentially mad duo."
