Antonio Conte has signed for Chelsea on a three-year deal as first team head coach. The Italian will work with the squad after he manages his nation in the European Championships this summer.
With the disappointment of this season, there’s no mistaken that Conte has several problems that need to be resolved for the future. The board, players, and the fans need to give Conte time to get the Blues back to where they should be.
The first priority for Conte will be to sort out the players and the system he wants to play. Conte is known for playing a 3-5-2 formation which is uncommon in England but could work at Chelsea depending on the players he has at his disposal. It would take time for the players to adjust to this system but it’s the recipe for success that won him three consecutive Serie A titles as manager of Juventus.
The Italian may prefer to keep the same formation Chelsea has played for the past few seasons which consists of a four-man defence. This way the current crop of players would be comfortable playing in the same formation for the next season.
Several players who currently play in Serie A have been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this summer. The likes of Radja Nainggolan, Miralem Pjanić, and Leonardo Bonucci could join Conte at Chelsea and would be able to quickly adjust to the style of play due to all three players currently playing in a 3-5-2 formation for their clubs.
Several Chelsea players are unsure as to whether they’ll be at the club next season as it looks increasingly likely that the Blues will miss out on a Champions League spot. Conte will either need to convince players like Thibaut Courtois and Diego Costa to stay at the club or sell them and buy appropriate replacements.
Chelsea fans are still unsure of John Terry’s future and this is an issue that both Conte and the Chelsea board will need to resolve. There is yet to be any confirmation over the captain’s situation at the club but this may be decided before the season ends.
There is also a cloud under the future of many of Chelsea’s youth and loaned out players. The Blues’ have been criticised for not looking within their resources and instead spending money on players from other clubs around the world.
Chelsea fans would love to see players like Dominic Solanke, Isaiah Brown, and Nathan Ake who are all currently on loan, get opportunities to play for the first team in the future. Conte signed Paul Pogba at Juventus on a free transfer and made him a regular player instantly and is now wanted by several big European clubs. Could Conte turn Ruben Loftus-Cheek into a regular in the Chelsea team next season?
Chelsea’s underperforming players from this season will need their morale’s lifted for next season under a new manager. Eden Hazard has had a poor season after winning the PFA Player of the Year award in 2015 and made a great contribution to Chelsea winning the Premier League and Capital One Cup last season.
Only the Belgian himself knows whether he wants to stay or leave the club but if he wishes to stay he will want to prove his worth to Conte. This falls under man management and lifting the player’s spirits up and Hazard would be a great asset to Conte if he can get the winger back to his best.
It won’t be easy keeping Hazard if the club receives an attractive offer from the likes of PSG or Real Madrid who he has been heavily linked with.
With several clubs targeting to win the Premier League every season it will be hard for Conte to win the greatest prize in English Football so the main objective should be to finish in the top four along with good performances in the domestic cups.
Next season will be a transitional season and Chelsea may be ‘the little horse’ again until the Italian has the squad he wants so that he can get the club competing for every trophy on offer.
