The Chelsea fans in the Football Transfer Tavern are loving life under Antonio Conte this season…
Last season Chelsea became the worst defending Premier League champions – statistically. Ill-disciplined behaviour, disinterested performances and clashing of major egos saw Chelsea finish in their lowest league position in almost twenty years.
After such a disastrous campaign, Chelsea acted quickly to appoint Antonio Conte as the club’s first-team coach. The former Italian and Juventus manager comes to London with a reputation in Italy for being an autocratic and demanding boss.
Under the disciplined Italian, things have clearly changed – and Conte is definitely doing everything right.
With that said, here are 3 things that Antonio Conte is getting RIGHT at Chelsea so far this season. Do you agree with our choices?
Return to form of key players
Chelsea’s top performers went missing in key games far too regularly last season.
Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Nemenja Matic were the players Chelsea looked to when times got tough – but none of them stepped up to the plate.
Under Conte, Eden Hazard already looks like he’s back to his very best, as does Diego Costa who now has 4 goals in 4 games.
This is certainly down to the Antonio Conte’s management style, with the Italian coach ensuring that his players feel involved and important instead of being pushed out when desperately required.
Signing N’Golo Kante
Leicester’s Player of the Season during their championship winning campaign, N’Golo Kante surprised everyone here in the Football Transfer Tavern by opting for a move to Antonio Conte’s Chelsea.
Our locals here at the Tavern feel the signing of Kante is already proving a major success, and should Kante’s form continue – then Chelsea could be in for a very successful few years under Conte.
Energetic, mesmeric and superb at protecting the back-four, Conte has made a shrewd move by securing Kante’s services for the next five years.
Discipline
Now under Conte there is no more late arrivals for training, passengers on the field of play or performances that see players giving less than 100%.
His strength in management has been to discipline his side when necessary and it’s a certainty that Chelsea were a team in desperate need of such a method last season.
Conte’s approach now see’s key players such Hazard and Costa back performing at levels previously seen during Chelsea’s title winning campaign in 2014/2015.
Conte’s spell thus far has been nothing short of a transformation.
