ANTONIO CONTE admitted Chelsea stand no chance of silencing Jose Mourinho if they produce a repeat of this St James’ surrender – and insisted the FA Cup final won’t be his last game in charge.


Conte questioned the desire of his players who looked to have Saturday’s Wembley date with Manchester United on their minds as they were swept away by Rafa Benitez’s final-day specialists to confirm their failure to clinch a Championship League place.
“I’m committed to this club, I have a contract,” the Italian said. “Will Saturday be my last match? No, I don’t think it will.

“We wanted to end the season in the best possible way, but we can do better than this, and for that I’m the first to answer.
“Newcastle showed greater desire and fight, and if we play like this in the FA Cup final we don’t have a chance. We have six days to change our approach, our desire, our will to fight.”
When questioned as to how damaging it is to miss out on the Champions League after finishing fifth, the Italian added: “You’ll have to ask the club about that.”
If this proves to be a Premier League swansong for both Conte and Benitez, they received vastly differing send-offs as they prepare to head into the great unknown.
Benitez, his side having saved their best for last to sealed a highly impressive top-half finish, was serenaded by 50,000 adoring Geordies begging him to stay as the Spaniard prepares for crunch talks about his future with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, albeit in the strongest of bargaining positions.

Conte, who was again let down by a group of expensively assembled players who he appears increasingly incapable of motivating, slid away silently down the tunnel to prepare – whatever his protestations – for what is likely to be his final match in charge next week with barely a fanfare for what remains a successful two-year reign.
He can still add the FA Cup to his impressive CV, but this no-show from players who should be trying to impress brought the curtain down on a hugely disappointing league campaign, where they have amassed 23 fewer points than they did when lifting the title 12 months ago.
They started the day with slim hopes of clinching an improbable fourth-placed finish, but the failure to keep their end of the bargain was rendered academic as Liverpool brushed Brighton aside to clinch the final Champions League place, regardless of events in Kiev later this month.
For a club with the ambitions of Chelsea, a place in next season’s Europa League barely registers.
Only a stand-out display from Thibaut Courtois prevented Newcastle from dishing out the kind of 5-1 final-day thumping suffered here by Tottenham two years ago, but the Belgian could do nothing as Dwight Gayle followed up to head home a 23rd-minute opener.
Ayoze Perez struck twice in four second-half minutes to embellish the margin of victory, applying deft touches to assists from Jonjo Shelvey and Florian Lejeune and seal a comfortable win.

“That kind of reaction from our supporters makes me really proud,” admitted Benitez.
The Spaniard has 12 months left on his current deal, and added: “We have to be sure we do the right things. The fans have ambitions, we have ambitions and we need to know if everyone has the same feeling. We’re still talking and we will see what happens.”

ANTONIO CONTE admitted Chelsea stand no chance of silencing Jose Mourinho if they produce a repeat of this St James’ surrender – and insisted the FA Cup final won’t be his last game in charge.


Conte questioned the desire of his players who looked to have Saturday’s Wembley date with Manchester United on their minds as they were swept away by Rafa Benitez’s final-day specialists to confirm their failure to clinch a Championship League place.
“I’m committed to this club, I have a contract,” the Italian said. “Will Saturday be my last match? No, I don’t think it will.

“We wanted to end the season in the best possible way, but we can do better than this, and for that I’m the first to answer.
“Newcastle showed greater desire and fight, and if we play like this in the FA Cup final we don’t have a chance. We have six days to change our approach, our desire, our will to fight.”
When questioned as to how damaging it is to miss out on the Champions League after finishing fifth, the Italian added: “You’ll have to ask the club about that.”
If this proves to be a Premier League swansong for both Conte and Benitez, they received vastly differing send-offs as they prepare to head into the great unknown.
Benitez, his side having saved their best for last to sealed a highly impressive top-half finish, was serenaded by 50,000 adoring Geordies begging him to stay as the Spaniard prepares for crunch talks about his future with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, albeit in the strongest of bargaining positions.

Conte, who was again let down by a group of expensively assembled players who he appears increasingly incapable of motivating, slid away silently down the tunnel to prepare – whatever his protestations – for what is likely to be his final match in charge next week with barely a fanfare for what remains a successful two-year reign.
He can still add the FA Cup to his impressive CV, but this no-show from players who should be trying to impress brought the curtain down on a hugely disappointing league campaign, where they have amassed 23 fewer points than they did when lifting the title 12 months ago.
They started the day with slim hopes of clinching an improbable fourth-placed finish, but the failure to keep their end of the bargain was rendered academic as Liverpool brushed Brighton aside to clinch the final Champions League place, regardless of events in Kiev later this month.
For a club with the ambitions of Chelsea, a place in next season’s Europa League barely registers.
Only a stand-out display from Thibaut Courtois prevented Newcastle from dishing out the kind of 5-1 final-day thumping suffered here by Tottenham two years ago, but the Belgian could do nothing as Dwight Gayle followed up to head home a 23rd-minute opener.
Ayoze Perez struck twice in four second-half minutes to embellish the margin of victory, applying deft touches to assists from Jonjo Shelvey and Florian Lejeune and seal a comfortable win.

“That kind of reaction from our supporters makes me really proud,” admitted Benitez.
The Spaniard has 12 months left on his current deal, and added: “We have to be sure we do the right things. The fans have ambitions, we have ambitions and we need to know if everyone has the same feeling. We’re still talking and we will see what happens.”