On Monday Chelsea made the announcement that we were all expecting and that Italian manger Antonio Conte will be their new boss next season.

Now if Chris Sutton is to be believed the appointment “doesn’t make any sense”.

Now I’m not sure with his record at Stamford Bridge, Sutton knows what is needed to make it at Chelsea.

According to Chris, Conte is a carbon copy of Jose Mourinho and he suggests that the players downed tools for the ‘Special One’ and thus they will automatically do the same under Antonio Conte.

Now the two managers have clear similarities; both are ambitious, winners and like to play with a disciplined style. But you could say that with most of the best football managers in the world.

I don’t subscribe to the theory that the Chelsea’s players fell out with Jose due to his training methods and/or his tactics. Especially when you remember that the team won the Premier League the season before under the same conditions.

Personally I think the players got fed up with Mourinho’s mood swings and paranoia. Instead of building a siege mentality with him and the squad against the rest of the world, Jose misjudged it and created a massive split between himself and his players. It proved to be a rift that was irreparable.

That’s were Conte will be different. He knows he needs the players to believe in him and to play for him, he certainly wont turn against them in public. Yes he isn’t the cuddly type but he’s smart and calculated.

The coach is also astute with his tactics and able to adapt when necessary.

The forty-six year old former Juventus man will need Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea board to back him.

I have no doubts that they will hand him a large transfer war-chest (love throwing that term in a post) and offload the players that Conte believes aren’t needed or are a disruptive influence.

Antonio will want foot-soldiers in his side who will give everything for the cause. When you look at the Italian’s successful Juve team players like Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal and Leonardo Bonucci would continually give their all to win games.

That’s why it doesn’t surprise me to see the London club linked with AS Roma’s Radja Nainggolan.

He’s a gritty midfielder, whose drive and determination on the park catches the eye.

He has those warrior type attributes that is often associated with Conte teams. I watched him live this season when I took in Rom’s visit to Inter Milan in November and he was one of the Giallorossi’s best players, often looking for the ball or harassing opponents when they had it.

The core of Conte’s team will be those foot-soldiers who give everything but he also adds match winners to add sparkle to the side.

I think Chelsea have secured a very talented coach who can boost the clubs fortunes and get them back into the ‘Top Four’ if everyone at Stamford Bridge backs him.

Can he win titles with the Blues?

Well that is almost impossible to predict, just look at Leicester City’s season this term. Plus next year England’s top flight will be jam packed with great managers at the helm with Pep Guardiola taking over at Man City, we have Jurgen Klopp starting his first full season in charge of Liverpool, Mauricio Pochettino continuing his great progress at Spurs, Arsene Wenger remaining at Arsenal and who knows could the Special One be ready to takeover at Man United?

But I can guarantee Antonio Conte will get Chelsea fighting again!

 

Posted on April 5th, 2016 by scott
Filed under: Article