Well we disagree from the outlet, because I've never rated Chiellini. He might have been our best defender for the past 3 seasons, but that's not saying much. He has always been a clumsy, tactically poor defender. I know that he has been marketed as this "bandiera"-guy for years and that he plays for the national side, but it doesn't change the fact that he's average at best. To me, players like Chiellini, Bonucci, Ranocchia, Bonera etc. is a symbol of the worst generation of italian defenders ever.
The point? How much can one really expect from Conte when this is what he has to work with?
We know damn well that he tried to ship Bonucci out to Russia during the summer. And we're now witnessing that he's growing tired of Chiellini as a CB. So he's trying him out at leftback instead. But Chiellini is letting him down.