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13th March 2017
01:20pm GMT

Antonio Conte’s cloudless reign at Stamford Bridge must make Jose Mourinho a little bit nauseous any time he thinks about it. Of course Mourinho has moved on, as always, but the ignominious end to his second coming at Chelsea has left its mark.
His last days at Chelsea revealed weaknesses and this year, with the expensive human shields of Pogba and Zlatan deployed, he has been a quieter figure.
He has moaned about the arduous nature of the Europa League campaign but looking at the inconsistencies in his team, he is surely beginning to appreciate that winning the bloody thing might provide the best chance of getting United back into the Champions League with the big boys.
Mourinho seems never to count on having more than three years at any club and, as such, next year will be his second and middle year at United. To be faffing about on the highways and byways of the Europa League for another season would impact on his final year as well. The strength of his brand cannot afford another inglorious exit from another big club.
Mourinho needs to take something more than the League Cup from this season.
Without the totemic Zlatan available to him tonight how will he play his cards though? Does he go all in knowing that the fixture list is already epic for his patchy team? Can he do anything less as he knows that another loss to Conte on the scale of last October’s 4-0 drubbing might define United’s relationship with Chelsea and his relationship with Conte.
Mourinho has certainly come a long way since the opening weeks of the season and defeats for his side have become a rarity.
One loss in twenty eight games, though, has done little to change their league position. For all the huffing and puffing they have drawn too often and have gone from sixth place all the way to sixth place. They play Chelsea tonight and Rostov on Thursday of this week. Mourinho may feel that something has got to give and the FA Cup may be it.
On the other hand United have to play Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs and City in the league before the season ends. Chelsea is the only home fixture among that four. Tossing away the FA Cup is a gamble that will look reckless if Champions League football for next year isn’t somehow secured.
Then there is the personal aspect. Mourinho is a proud man. The manner of United’s defeat on their last visit to Stamford Bridge has to have hurt him deeply. Anything along those lines would be impossible for him to stomach tonight.
Conte is the unlikely winner in the big name manager sweepstakes for this year and part of that is down to how well he has carried himself. There is no sign of the hyper-sensitive figure Conte presented when he was managing Juventus. He presents himself as being above the sort of mind games and insult trading that Mourinho enjoys so much.
Antonio Conte can afford to let the FA Cup get away this season if he chooses. It might be wisest for Mourinho to let it go for now also.
However, Monday night’s game has so many different undercurrents running through it that it just isn’t as simple as that for either man.
When Lincoln City went home empty handed on Saturday the FA Cup lost the last bit of romance for this year but with its intrigue, antagonisms and high stakes gambling the Chelsea-United relationship more than compensates.
Niall Quinn is a former Arsenal, Manchester City, Sunderland and Republic of Ireland striker. He currently works as a pundit and co-commentator for Sky Sports, and also writes for Sportsvibe.Explore more on these topics: