Chelsea Football Club has announced current Italian National Team manager, Antonio Conte as their new manager. Conte will continue managing the Italian team through the Euros this summer and then step into the Chelsea job afterwards.
Chelsea has greatly improved since the start of the season, but they’re still down in 10th, far from where they want to be. Guus Hiddink has done a fine job in London, but it’s clear he’s been nothing but a caretaker. So Conte, who has an impressive 16 trophies to his name as a player and coach with Juventus, will reportedly attempt to boost his silverware collection with Chelsea.
What's trending: Frank Lampard backs Conte for Chelsea, Gulati defends U.S. soccer. https://t.co/a7niNXcqxW pic.twitter.com/5C4nC03akO
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How much of an improvement we’ll see right away is anyone’s guess, but given his history and the squad Chelsea have, there is still some idea of what could happen with a Conte led Chelsea.
Right off the bat, there is the formation. Conte is a staunch believer in the 3-5-2. He uses it with Italy, as he did with Juventus. It’s a system that excels against teams that deploy two strikers, and one that requires mobile and well-disciplined center backs. This could be the first problem and one that would have to be solved in the transfer market. Chelsea doesn’t have three center backs that could play in that system reliably, going on current form. John Terry has lost most of his pace , and American Matt Miazga might not be developed enough. Gary Cahill might be the only one able to fit Conte’s system.
LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 29: Gary Cahill of Chelsea in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at White Hart Lane on November 29, 2015, in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Conte could adapt his system, but if not expect Chelsea to try to bolster their back line. If he can get the players he wants then his 3-5-2 can be quite a strong formation. His system won him three consecutive Seria A titles with Juventus. Without defensive reinforcements, Conte will have to adapt or die, so to speak.
The one part of Chelsea’s lineup that Conte will surely be able to take advantage of is the midfield. Pedro, Cesc Fabregas, Oscar, Willian and Eden Hazard could all thrive in a midfield that tries to control the game. A benefit of the 3-5-2 formation is you often outnumber the opposition in the middle of the park.
If these midfielders along with two wingbacks can successfully control the space in the middle, then forwards like Diego Costa (if he doesn’t leave this summer) will certainly be kept happy as they should receive plenty of service.
Chelsea is one of the teams in England with deep pockets. Roman Abramovich is likely to open his check book if the Italian agrees to take over in the summer. The defense will be a priority as mentioned, as well as finding a strike partner for Costa and someone who can further bolster the team’s biggest strength in midfield.
Some rumors have been swirling around that Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal, who played for Conte in Turin, could make his move to England. Vidal hasn’t been the brilliant signing that Bayern was hoping for, and Conte knows exactly how best to use the Chilian.
There are plenty of other rumors going around and it’s hard to know exactly how many have any truth behind them, new managers tend to ratchet up the rumor mill to an absurd degree. That being said, expect plenty of new faces at Stamford Bridge next season.
Chelsea will be better next season, Conte is a talented manager and he’ll bring something different to the Chelsea locker room, and make no mistake his demeanor is likely to be a big departure from Jose Mourinho. Just how better Chelsea will be might depend heavily on how well his team is suited to his style. A good breakdown on the strengths and weaknesses of the 3-5-2 can be found here.
A top-four finish will be the goal for Abramovich, and he picked a good manager to get him there. With the right defense that is comfortable with a back-three and a midfield given more responsibility to control matches, they should reach that goal easily. For Chelsea fans, they should be able to forget this season ever happened.
