If the Chelsea players want to give Antonio Conte a farewell present of winning the F.A. Cup final against Manchester United on Saturday, they will have to raise their game considerably from the shambolic, error-ridden performance in the 3-0 defeat by Newcastle United last Sunday.

It was a display that typified Chelsea's season of inconsistency. Conte said: "I wasn't able to get my determination through to my players." Which begs the question: why were they not determined in the first place?

"If we play like that in the F.A. Cup final, we don't have a chance."