Personally I think Conte may well have a rough idea of what he would like to achieve but he is not going to aggressively set out in intricate detail, to the press, all of his future plans. Simply put if it transpired he then had to adapt to mould to the English system and change his plans, he could then end up looking a bit of an ar$e.

 

If he had untold wealth and the club was in a sufficiently attractive position then I have little doubt that all of the big names that are in the gossip pages constantly at the moment would be on their way to the bridge. After all most of these are his ex players or he has worked with before in some capacity.

 

I even think people putting out what we believe to be our strongest side could be premature. We may well find that he pulls out a kid from the extended squad, turns him into a strong holding midfielder and Matic ends up getting splinters all season, or is moved on to fund another purchase. I think he is leaving all of his options open, certainly his soundbites imply this, and quite rightly so. Why back yourself into a corner before you have even played your first game in a country you have never managed in before?

 

As a final point, the BBC website has the Liverpool game details and a picture of the Fabregas tackle where Cahil is jogging in to the ref. It may be the camera angle, or my aged eyes, but Cahill definitely looks to me that he has already shed some timber.

Not just your eyes mate he definitely looks leaner

Think many of our players will be leaner given the work Conte makes them go through.

A fit team can make the difference in a long season.

Think many of our players will be leaner given the work Conte makes them go through.

A fit team can make the difference in a long season.

 

Definitely true. I know it's a bit of a cliche, but cliches come about from overuse of truisms. The first yard truly is in the mind and a fitter body is a fitter mind. Front to back we were leggy in so many areas last season. Every Cahill tackle last year seemed to be a last ditch lunge sprawling on his ar$e. I'm not singling him out as so many of them were slow without the ball.

 

Those little half a yard here, getting back to shape quicker, a sudden jink and sprint from a turnover of possession. The quality of these lads has never been in doubt. Costa is truly one of the best players around when in and around the box and within the width of the posts. He's no good to anybody fifteen yards off the pace.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3711656/Chelsea-fantastic-academy-don-t-know-past-players-played-team-says-Antonio-Conte.html#ixzz4Fef3yCWv

The more I read and watch about Conte, the more I like him.

I'm paraphrasing a bit here but he said he will be dynamic and he enjoys having a lot of quality to chose from.

 

 

In his last presser he said he needs to find the best solution game by game. I think he won't use the same guys all the time.

 

Cheers lads, I thought I'd heard murmurs of this.

Conte talks about playing w/ Zidane & what he is doing now as a gaffer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vyZT9E4bU8

One thing i have not been in favour of so far is him experimenting with Loftus-Cheek. I don't mind experimenting to see if he can play as the ACM, but as a striker ? I don't see that ever happening to be honest and i don't even think it's worth experimenting with. I have never seen anything in Loftus-Cheek's game that has made me think that he is a striker.

Buon Compleanno to the big man! 47 today.

One thing i have not been in favour of so far is him experimenting with Loftus-Cheek. I don't mind experimenting to see if he can play as the ACM, but as a striker ? I don't see that ever happening to be honest and i don't even think it's worth experimenting with. I have never seen anything in Loftus-Cheek's game that has made me think that he is a striker.

RLC is now part of the first team squad.

The problem is three different managers now have appeared unsure how best to utilise him in the team.

I refuse to believe Conte sees a future for him as a striker but I'm not sure he knows what else to do with him.

RLC is now part of the first team squad.

The problem is three different managers now have appeared unsure how best to utilise him in the team.

I refuse to believe Conte sees a future for him as a striker but I'm not sure he knows what else to do with him.

Agree with this. Not enough workrate to play as a midfielder and no instincts(yet?) to play as a striker. Lots of hope for him though as he has age on his side.

RLC is simply an average footballer if you all take off that blue tinted glass off.. The only reason why he attracting attention is because of his physical attribute at such a young age, a very fine tune of body shape..

But he refused to comment on suggestions he wants to bring back the Belgium striker who was sold by Chelsea in 2014.

"I do not want to speak about the players of other teams," said Conte, when asked directly about Lukaku.

"This is not respectful to the club or to their players. I prefer not to speak.

"The transfer market is not the most important thing. The important thing is to build a team - a team that plays in good and bad situations and concentrates and works together."

 

If you didn't know better these could easily be the words of Jose 

Those are the words of a strong manager.  He's not putting around thoughts of other players and he's being respectful of other teams.  There are ways to operate in the transfer market and experienced, respected coaches like Jose and Conte know how to operate.  

Hello to everybody!

First I would like to apologize for my english, hope it'll be good enough to talk about chelsea and soccer in general with you.
I'm a Juventus supporter, and since Antonio Conte signed up for Chesea, I became even a fan of your team.

I just wanted to wish you an umbelieveble season, I'm pretty sure you will win the Premier couse Antonio Conte is the best coach in the world.

As you know he spent many years plaing for Juventus, and in 2011 when he became our manager he found a team wich had just the name of the "Old Lady", but everything else (grit, tenaciousness, in one word the "DNA Juve") was gone, lost with the changes that the big scandal of 2006 took in the team.

The team was embarasing, we reached 2 times in a row the seventh place in the league (2009-2011).

 

Well, he did an amazing, umbelievable job.

He trasformed some good players (Bonucci, Barzagli, Chiellini) in stars, a "cheese" defense pack in a wall.

His forwards were Matri, Vucinic, Quagliarella, just normal players, with them he won the Italian league against stronger teams. Pirlo was almost an ex soccer player, he gave him other 4 years in his career.

I'll be always really grateful to Antonio, couse if Juventus now is back in its traditional power and coat of arms, it's just thanks to him.

Enjoy your season, I'm sure you'll appreciate him and his job, couse for him his job is more important than everything else.

Come on Blues!

Edited August 1, 20169 yr by ale0306

doh (clear)

Edited August 1, 20169 yr by VG

I've replied better in my time.

That said, thanks ale0306, good to hear he is good with aging and ordinary players, as we have a few at the moment... I certainly like the idea he helped create the BBC backline. Quick q - how was he with youth during his time at Juve? Did his wonders with working with what he had extend to them as well?

I've replied better in my time.

That said, thanks ale0306, good to hear he is good with aging and ordinary players, as we have a few at the moment... I certainly like the idea he helped create the BBC backline. Quick q - how was he with youth during his time at Juve? Did his wonders with working with what he had extend to them as well?

If Pogba became what he is today, it's for sure even thanks to Conte.

I can tell that Pogba wasn't really sure about moving to Juventus (he was scary by having another coach as Ferguson wich never trusted him) and he finally was persuaded by Conte, wich had a talk with Paul showing him so many game plans that in the end Paul was really amazed and happy about his decision.

I even have to say that, for example with Elia, he was stright and hard. After one season he moved to another team couse he hardly saw the pitch.

In other words, Antonio Conte doens't care about your age, he cares about your mental energy, your grit, your quality.

He is an hammer, unreleting with his players. But in the end, all his player love him couse they understand how great he his and how they can improve thanks to him.

@ale0306 Great post thanks for the details on his time with Juventus

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

 

 

If you didn't know better these could easily be the words of Jose 

 

 

 

Not really Barak - that's exactly what got up Everton's and Martinez nose last season when Jose DID talk about John Stones!!

Just a quick one on the formation. People getting carried away talking about the 424. 

 

When we havent got the ball its a 451 with one of the strikers dropping back in. Its not an ultra aggressive system where we have men flying forward!

Just a quick one on the formation. People getting carried away talking about the 424. 

 

When we havent got the ball its a 451 with one of the strikers dropping back in. Its not an ultra aggressive system where we have men flying forward!

For me it's the attacking aspect of the 4-2-4/4-4-2 that isn't suitable at present and is a worry. 

 

• We don't have a true LM (if Hazard does move central) or LB to attack/counter fluidly - at a minimum we need proper fullbacks in their true positions to overlap, cross, pass without needing to shift to their stronger foot, slow play down etc.

   

• As for RM, Pedro, Willian, Cuadaro all have the attacking/defensive attributes for a RM in a 4-2-4 system IMO, but how well would Azpi work switching back to RB? We know he can defend at LB, but attacking-wise at RB, without Hazard ahead of him to link-up with, how effective would he be attacking with the aforementioned RMs?

   

• CM-wise, from what we've seen over the pre-season, Matic has been his usual inconsistent-self - sub-par once again in defence, attack, passing, positioning... either on his way out, or will be on the bench come PL.

We are really resting our hopes on Kante integrating with the squad quickly and hitting the ground running - if not, imagine our midfield getting run-over again, now with one less midfielder/#10 dropping back.

 

Loftus-Cheek pushed up as striker still has me scratching my head - he clearly isn't a forward - more-so a box-to-box midfielder. Either Conte sees something I don't or he'll be shipped off on loan/squad player. Given the lack of CMs we have in the squad, why not play him to his strengths in midfield to give us an indication of his current level?

 

One positive - Fabregas does give the impression he out to prove something and make one of the two CM spots his - looked lively, tactically astute, defended surprisingly well, and passed/dictated play from deep perfectly as we know he can do.

 

• The CB situation is another concern. From what I've seen, the backline is hindered by JT's speed (or lack of) keeping the defence deep while the midfield/strikers are doing the exact opposite through aggressive pressing upfield... The space opened up between the midfield and backline will surely be leveraged by the better PL teams. To play the formation/tactics we've seen throughout the season, this needs to be fixed.

  IMO Cahill is better suited in a higher line - not great when he's being run at in the space behind the midfield as we've seen countless times, but great when the opposition get behind the line and usually puts in a well-timed challenge facing goal. In addition to this, he's great with the ball at his feet, drives forward into space, and his passing range isn't too shabby either.

 

Side-note:

 

Is there any explanation behind why we're going in for Lukaku? The same guy who showed no fight/desire, threw a tanty and wanted out after Eto'o signed, made several stabs at the club in the media while he was at Chelsea, and above all has the touch, finesse and technique of a retired rugby prop? Costa, Batshuaui, Remy, Traore, Hazard not enough for two forward positions when we only have the PL to focus on?

Also - any word on how far off Zouma is? I recently read he was set for a December/January comeback but it looks like he's in full training again...

Double post, ignore/delete plz.

Edited August 3, 20169 yr by Kentonio