Chelsea stars 'text former coach Steve Holland to tell him they miss him' as Antonio Conte's reign at Stamford Bridge comes under further scrutiny
- Antonio Conte's methods at Chelsea have come under pressure in recent weeks
- Firstly, there was suggestion his training regime was unsettling his players
- Now a report claims Blues stars have been telling a former coach they miss him
- The Sun says members of the first-team squad have been texting Steve Holland
Antonio Conte's Chelsea regime has come under fresh scrutiny following a report claiming his players are texting a former coach to tell him they miss him.
Members of the first-team squad have been getting in touch with Steve Holland, once upon a time No 2 at Stamford Bridge and now part of the England setup, according to The Sun.
The report claims that Holland, who was back at the Bridge to watch the Champions League draw with Roma last week, was the go-between for the squad and Conte prior to leaving for his permanent role with the Three Lions in the summer.
Steve Holland (left) has been contacted by members of the Chelsea squad, a report claims
Antonio Conte's reign at Stamford Bridge has come under increasing scrutiny of late
After recent revelations that certain Blues stars were unhappy with their training regime, the news comes as a further blow to Conte.
The Italian watched his team squeak past Watford on Saturday, having recently lost to Manchester City and Crystal Palace and drawn with Roma.
Conte's intense sessions were easier to handle last season, when Chelsea had no European football to contend with, but this year they are taking their toll.
And there has been suggestion that the training methods have contributed to a spate of injuries among the first-team squad.
Holland spent six years at Chelsea and had a good relationship with the players
The Sun claim Holland's replacement, Davide Mazzotta, has struggled to develop the same relationship with the players enjoyed by his predecessor.
Chelsea currently sit fourth in the Premier League table with nine games of the season played, nine points behind leaders City.
The Blues make the trip to the south coast to take on Bournemouth this weekend.
He left in the summer to be the full-time assistant coach to England boss Gareth Southgate
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