Chelsea boss Antonio Conte wants to establish a similar system at Chelsea like he did during his time in Italy.
Antonio Conte’s appointment as Chelsea manager brought about its own share of expectations with it. A side that was languishing in the bottom half of the table for a number of weeks last season, somehow managed to find their footing and finish in the 10th position.
Guus Hiddink, who was appointed as an interim manager after the sacking Jose Mourinho, made it clear that he will not be taking the job on a permanent basis. Thus, the Chelsea board turned to the then Italy head-coach.
With just three weeks into the new season, the Chelsea side that struggled to find the right form, seem to be flourishing under new leadership. The players look like a cohesive unit and there seems to be a lot of positivity inside the dressing room.
Conte’s love for a three-man defence is one of the game’s worst kept secrets, thus when he fielded a traditional 4-1-4-1 in his three games in charge, it raised a number of eyebrows. While speaking to the press ahead of the game against Swansea, the Italian said that he will revert to a back three.
“It can be an opportunity, a solution, yeah. It can happen in the future. This squad can play with 3-4-3, not 3-5-2 like the Italy national team or Juventus, because of the characteristics of the players,” said Conte via Chelsea’s official website.
Chelsea signed former defender David Luiz on deadline day for a reported £32 million. Only three years after selling him to Paris St Germain – making him the world’s most expensive defender – the Blues’ desperation to buy a centre-back saw them purchase the Brazilian.
Conte explained that Luiz will bring a lot to the table for the Blues and possesses the capability of becoming the best centre-back in the world if utilised correctly. The Chelsea boss said:
“We bought David Luiz because we needed a centre-back. I know he played sometimes in midfield before but in my mind now there isn’t this idea. He has to work with us as a centre-back.
“David has great personality, great technique, and he likes to play. I like a defender who likes to play football. I know David can improve in defensive situations. Every player until the end of their career can improve. I say that from my experience as a footballer.
“David Luiz is 29, a fantastic age for him to become one of the best defenders in the world. I am seeing great commitment from him. He wanted to play for Chelsea and it’s a great opportunity for him and for us to improve.”
Chelsea visit the Liberty Stadium to take on Swansea City, on Sunday. David Luiz has been made available by the manager, but it remains to be seen whether he is put into the starting eleven straight away.
