It’s up to a manager to set up a team to give themselves the best chance to get a positive result. Conte did that and I would have done the same (albeit with a striker up there, with Hazard and Willian playing off Giroud). It didn’t work and he didn’t do enough during the game to change it, so he gets criticised for that and that’s fair enough. I think however that the mauling he’s got from fans and pundits is OTT and talk of fans getting refunds and Conte being sacked shows how ridiculous this game has become.

There are extenuating circumstances behind all of this. I don’t think Conte should have shoulder the blame for players not stringing passes together and most of all, the club’s transfer policy. For me, it’s not the manager who waved the white flag against City, it’s the club who’s decided they don’t want to mix it with the very biggest in Europe anymore (whereas City are doing the complete opposite). To expect us to still compete toe to toe with them on the pitch is hugely unfair on a great coach. I’m sure he wishes he could have taken on Pep from an equal footing and it must be seriously grating that he feels he can’t do that. I share his frustration and anger.