I've heard he monitors the players' diets too and really delves deep into their professionalism, so that's definitely something useful considering the shape the fat bar stewards came back in for pre-season.  

The more I've learned about him as a coach the more optimistic I am that it's exactly the right style of coach we need.

The players have had a six month holiday with Guus, he let them take their foot off the peddle.

Now they're (hopefully) in for a culture shock and I'm hoping that Conte tells them a few home truths.

I think a tough, strong minded coach isn't just what the the players need but the club as a whole.

Fingers crossed eh?

Exactly my feelings. They've had their disaster and a gentle half season of recovery. It's about time we resume being a proper team.

Exactly my feelings. They've had their disaster and a gentle half season of recovery. It's about time we resume being a proper team.

 

Couldn't agree more. Hopefully the Manc teams will get the spotlight and we can fly under the radar while we build up a momentum.

He's a serious coach. A step onto the field, borderline militaristic type.

You won't see much football where the players are trying to figure out what they are doing as it happens. Patterns of play will be drilled into them.

Expect someone as ruthless and intense and Jose and someone who spends as much time on the training field as pochettino or guardiola.

For better or worse there will be no aimless drift or malaise. This guy isn't a scolari.

I'm quite excited. Though I don't see us necessarily in the top 3...

 

 

This begs the question: How much time do you feel Roman will give Conte?  After this season's disaster, could Roman actually look at it and say "I'm giving this guy a full 3 years?"  Or will it be "Lose to Man Utd, and you needn't bother coming back to Cobham?"

Juvi were one of the best all round teams in the world when he left imo.

They were solid at the back and played it out fast that's what I'm hoping to see from him.

The late 90s early 00s under luca and ranieri we played some beautiful football and I'm hoping that comes in with him.

Mainly hoping for 2 up front I hate this loan striker tactic.

This begs the question: How much time do you feel Roman will give Conte?  After this season's disaster, could Roman actually look at it and say "I'm giving this guy a full 3 years?"  Or will it be "Lose to Man Utd, and you needn't bother coming back to Cobham?"

they way jose was afforded to finish "merely" third in his first season, and the fact he was give a lot of time even after the title had gone in his last season made me thin 'maybe abramovich has changed'.

 

having read ancelotti's account now I think I was probably deluding myself and that jose got a little more wriggle room because of who he is. I'm not hopeful on that side any more. and conte is just as demanding as jose- maybe not for political or full operational control, but certainly when it comes to signings for example.

 

he surely has to see that given where we've finished and how tight the competition appears to be on paper even finishing outside of the top four shouldn't be grounds to sack him automatically. I suspect fourth place is the minimum requirement though.

Ah the fun manager merry go round begins for us again. Who was I kidding when I thought jose would finally bring stability. Guess we might be seeing Rafa as an interim soon. And then the next flavor of the month.

Btw what does Emenalo have to do get sacked though?

This begs the question: How much time do you feel Roman will give Conte? After this season's disaster, could Roman actually look at it and say "I'm giving this guy a full 3 years?" Or will it be "Lose to Man Utd, and you needn't bother coming back to Cobham?"

Mac based on past experience, what do you think?

I would add that I know little about Conte as a manager. But I know he has a huge job on his hands. I am interested that those who know him better than I do see him as a very strict disciplinarian, someone who will lay down the law and tell players it is my way or the highway. I would question if that style of management will work with the likes of Costa, Hazard and Fabregas. Indeed any name player who has an ego.

Edited May 27, 201610 yr by just

Mac based on past experience, what do you think?

 

Alright Just,

it's a tough one mate.  I think Roman has to b realistic.  He has to look at the environment that will be the premiership next season and realize that: Jose is back, at the biggest club in the country, and they'll want instant success.  He knows that Jose can deliver that, as he has seen it first hand.  He also knows that Pep is now in the premiership at a club who's pockets run much deeper than his, and that Pep has had success wherever he went.  Then, he has to realize that Conte is coming to a new league, and a "broken" team.  Therefore, I think he gives him a full season to get into the top 4 and back into the CL where Roman expects Chelsea to be.  If he achieves that, then I think he is good, and the pressure will come more so the following season.  As in: you've had a year in the league, now go win it. Coupled with: now we are in the CL so go win that too.

 

Having said all that, if we are mid table again my February, he'll probably be sacked and we bring back......nope, not even going to say his name 

You won't see much football where the players are trying to figure out what they are doing as it happens. Patterns of play will be drilled into them.

Good. Our players have appeared completely clueless in the final third far too often in recent years. No more of the "just give it to Hazard" sh*t.

 

I like the way Conte set up his Juve side. The way they dismantled us a few seasons ago was very impressive, they knew exactly what they were doing at all times. Looking forward to our team playing with that sort of purpose again.

Good. Our players have appeared completely clueless in the final third far too often in recent years. No more of the "just give it to Hazard" sh*t.

I like the way Conte set up his Juve side. The way they dismantled us a few seasons ago was very impressive, they knew exactly what they were doing at all times. Looking forward to our team playing with that sort of purpose again.

Theres a video I saw breaking down exactly what Juve did with the ball in attack and its like clockwork. Option A, B, C every time. If neither is there reset and try again.

Theres a video I saw breaking down exactly what Juve did with the ball in attack and its like clockwork. Option A, B, C every time. If neither is there reset and try again.

Could you find the link? Sounds interesting

Could you find the link? Sounds interesting

Here you are

 

Some coach at Burnley made that. I love watching this sort of thing, it helps me with my coaching. 

Here you are

 

Some coach at Burnley made that. I love watching this sort of thing, it helps me with my coaching. 

That is a very interesting video. I don't think Hazard can play the role of a wing back. If we could have Cuadrado back, him and Willian would fit those roles perfectly. Maybe Hazard plays the No.10 alongside Costa? Definitely interested in seeing how Conte works it out.

 

Then again, Conte adopted that system due to Juve's lack of players. He adapts systems according to what he has. Juve didn't have the luxury of buying players at heavy prices like we do so it'll be interesting to see how he plays it this time. Definitely happy he's not stubborn with systems.

"Italian Mourinho" will be a shock for Chelsea players after gentle Guus.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/04/04/conte-will-be-shock-for-chelsea-players-after-gentle-guus/

A good read that. My only worry is Conte being too hard is just like Jose.

i would doubt it, pal. when pogba, pirlo, marchisio, verratti, vidal amongst others commend his management i would not have thought he is a guy players don't wanna work with. also, winning the seria a 3 years consecutively needs the players to stay motivated and he obviously kept them motivated and hungry. i think maybe he is more intense than mourinho; actually sounds more like a simeone than mourinho. you would hope the players have learned after this season they are going to need to stay hungry and motivated season in, season out. 

A good read that. My only worry is Conte being too hard is just like Jose.

Can't say that bothers me in the slightest. We've had too many players strolling through matches in the past season. A kick in the arse will not be a bad thing.

All the media are constantly talking about Pep, Jose and Klopp. It seems they think they are the three biggest and best managers in the league. In one of the papers today, they asked 3 pundits who they would want to play for about them.

It's kind of nice that Conte is flying under the radar. I think they might just be surprised by Conte.

Jose doesn't bring instant success mac.

The only reason he won the league in his 1st season is because ranieri finished 2nd the season before and had built a great side.

His second time he finished 3rd.

Me personally I'm not his biggest fan, never have been I like Carlo more.

But conte is a great manager juvi were a force under of him.

from a juve fan: 

 

"He's nothing like Mourinho. He favors fast, possession football, not counter attacking football. He's a hardline disciplinarian who gains the trust of his team to an almost fanatic level, so in that way he's a bit similar (Mourinho isn't as hardline as him, don't remember Mou ever losing his voice on a regular basis from screaming on the sidelines so much). He's tactically adept most of the time, but when he has a brainfart, he takes far too long to adapt to it and his substitutions often make no sense at all.

Still, he's a top coach, top motivator, and he's extremely dedicated to his job. Since he won't be a manager, but rather a coach, I expect him to do well enough at his job provided the management gives him good players to work with." 

Well that brainfart thing sounds familiar. How Jose kept playing Ivanovic at right back is beyond my comprehension. Let's hope Conte doesn't make that mistake.

It's the Italian way I love it, even ranieri plays that way when you look at us early 00s and Leicester now.

The one thing I've always liked is that he never plays with one striker maybe Costa might get partnered up with one of the youth boys

Glad we're bringing in someone with a record for being very tough on players, nothing less than they need or deserve.

Rebuilding the Bridge

Make no mistake, this summer will be a rebuilding job at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea having dropped from champions to mid-table. However, Conte has the relevant experience on his CV.

He revived struggling teams at Arezzo, Bari, Atalanta and Siena, but his work at Juventus stands out the most.

Having finished in seventh in 2010/11, Conte took over from Luigi Delneri and led Juve to the league title without a single defeat, the first club to do so in Italian history.

Conceding just 20 goals in 38 games, it was their first official league title since 2003 after being stripped of two Serie A crowns for their involvement in the 2006 Calciopoli scandal.

Tactics-wise, Conte is not restricted to his 3-5-2 formation, used predominantly at Juventus and with Italy. He has been known to switch to 4-3-3 successfully, a flexibility which has seen him lose just 18 games in his 167 as a manager since starting at Juventus in 2011.

Sky in Italy reporter Gianluca Di Marzio believes rather than shoehorning players into his system, Conte would adapt his system according to the players' capabilities

In a column on his website earlier this week, Di Marzio said: "As Conte himself has said many times, he believes a good manager adapts to the personnel he has and not the other way around."

Conte was equally impressive in the transfer market, and despite some inevitable misses, hits included Andrea Pirlo (free), Paul Pogba (free), Carlos Tevez (£6.75m), Arturo Vidal (£9.4m) and Stephan Lichtsteiner (£7.5m). During his three seasons at Juve, Conte never spent over £15m on a player.

What they've said

"I am extremely lucky I met Antonio Conte, I had so many coaches to compare him too, and he is the one who surprised me the most. I was expecting a good coach, but not that good." - Andrea Pirlo, 2014, in I Think, Therefore I Play autobiography.Andrea Pirlo says he is 'lucky' to have played under Conte

"The secret of our success is the ambition our coach has. Conte has brought a new mentality to the club. He has pushed us to sweat, to find strength and to undergo hard work in order to cancel out the last two disappointing campaigns." - Gianluigi Buffon, 2012