The Conte Thread

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Just had this debate with someone on Twitter (subsequently got blocked because of disagreement ) and really don't get some fans these days. One minute they are moaning about Willian, Pedro etc. The next, they want them back in so that we can be more attacking. That fella suggested Willian/Pedro would be world beaters if they were playing under Guardiola. I get Pedro may be more effective but Willian? Some fans suddenly think these average players are better than they actually are and are being held back by Conte's supposedly negative tactics.

And also advanced in age! 4 games in less than two weeks is a lot for most let alone two guys in their 30's? Even when they were in their prime and peak of their performances we are talking about good players not great. Certainly not the centrepieces of an attacking dynamo.

I get what people would like to see, entertaining attacking football where we score 5's and 6's and keep a clean sheet in the process but that's just not what we have here. We have a manager who values hard work over relying on individual talent. In the end what you can always call on is for effort, that is the hardest part of the game to coax in today's footballer. It's the reason Jose is less effective and why Pep has to spend €500m to compensate for lack of motivation.

We have a manager who is very intelligent and tactically brilliant! What we don't have is the ability to buy whoever we want regardless of price so as a result we are relying more on team tactics than going into the transfer market and building a fantasy team.

Having said that people were moaning that we haven't done enough business in the window, they may be right on paper but in the context of a squad, how many players are advisable to bring in without disrupting the team dynamic? I mean we've seen it with so many teams who make 5/6 changes then struggle to find their feet for the entire season. Too much change isn't always a good thing, we've replaced players and not added to the squad perhaps due to this reasoning. Maybe January is another chance to add to the squad since we seem a more settled side? I don't know....

Bottom line is we need stability in order to see significant growth in the club. Conte is at the 18th month mark and we've seen him completely overhaul the team, implement a new philosophy and tactical deployment, lower the average age of the team and stabilize a sinking ship reeling from finishing 10th! All that while winning the league and coach of the year honours as well as getting to the finals of the fa cup.

My suggestion is for all the kids who started following post 2003 id to have a bit of patience because the one thing we haven't had throughout that incredible run is a real identity and coincidentally some stability.

Overhauls are expensive when the expectations are so high so my message to the conte out brigade is CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR! If Conte leaves right before a period where we are rationing our dollars because we have a new stadium to build and an owner who seems reluctant to spend at will, the club will suffer immensely!

Just some food for thought as we move forward.... Back the manager, accent what we have, and we'll be champions again!

[Jase 43,479]

 

 

[The Skipper 20,593]

Conte isn't a defensive manager... he's pragmatic. There's a difference. Last season when we easily beat most smaller side confirmed this for me. We would be so much better with more quality going forward. If we have Sandro ahead of Alonso, if we had someone like Alexis ahead of Willian etc. we'd be so much better.

Yes, Conte has made mistakes but his squad isn't great. He's at fault I would say 25%. The rest falls on the board's inability to actually upgrade the squad. This squad we have is worse than last seasons - the sooner people accept that, the better.

[El P. 1,354]

@Jason 

Quote

The club will do its best to improve the squad in the numerical aspect

I just don't understand this. Why in the world would we need more players? Except from another back-up striker, I don't see where we need numbers. We need quality, quantity we have.

[DDA 9,570]

6 minutes ago, El P. said:

@Jason 

I just don't understand this. Why in the world would we need more players? Except from another back-up striker, I don't see where we need numbers. We need quality, quantity we have.

I think he said that so it didn't offend his current squad. Using numerical numbers is far less offensive than saying, we desperately need a LWB thus leaving Alonso thinking, "you can shove my free kicks up ya ass. All in row Z from now on".

[El P. 1,354]

1 minute ago, DDA said:

I think he said that so it didn't offend his current squad. Using numerical numbers is far less offensive than saying, we desperately need a LWB thus leaving Alonso thinking, "you can shove my free kicks up ya ass. All in row Z from now on".

Just thought of that some minutes ago. It's actually very wise of him to talk like that.

[The Skipper 20,593]

We’re somehow second. Conte’s a big reason as to why. 

[Georgy 439]

2 minutes ago, The Skipper said:

We’re somehow second. Conte’s a big reason as to why. 

If we had a bigger squad now we would be just a few points behind City. Lost points to all mug teams.

[Unionjack 7,531]

For a manager to com in and to pick up from a manager that left us in utter turmoil, lacking confidence etc to win it in your 1st season and be at this stage so far in the 2nd I dont think we could ask for much better.

And if the lads had got their shit together sooner abd yes of course bought better in the summer who knows where we would be now.

We won the league under Mou who played a pretty 1 dimensional football with us and we loaned at his continual team selection. Conte swaps and changes both formation and the players yet some still moan.

Hes not going to please everyone is he, And theres only I'd say 5 of the lads we would all like.

Lets all just hope we get some of the upgrades we need so we can have a better looking squad to tempt players to stay and attract even better ones.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

If he stays for the next couple years, Conte will prove to be a legendary manager. He is without doubt in my mind the best budgetary manager in the world. And with the current predicament of money in equalling money out, Conte is without question the guy we need to manage the expectations.

 

He's done it at Juve, Italy and now here, shoestring budgets and he's got the team playing well. Kudos to the Don!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mário César 811]

I hope he stay with us for many many years

[OneMoSalah 8,611]

Cant believe I'm seeing people in here and on twitter saying shite like 'Conte out' and 'Morata is the new Torres'. How ungrateful are these fucking morons? I put a post up a few weeks back I think where I said Conte is best manager we've had in years and that opinion wont change regardless of if we finish 20+ points behind Man City. Hes took a side that despite winning the title under Jose, although they ran out of steam after February/March, that eventually would go on and struggle the whole of the next season and made them champions when a top 6 finish was arguably considered a challenge before a ball was kicked that year. We are now second after a poor transfer window, where he has constantly talked about a lack of numbers. Whats the problem? I feel the whole of England and the world have become overly obsessed with Pep Guardiola and Manchester City but lets not forget that the difference of quality in their squad in comparison to ours after the summer. For instance we replaced Nemanja Matic with Bakayoko... City replaced Zabaleta with Kyle Walker, Kolarov with Benjamin Mendy, Jesus Navas with Bernardo Silva... if we signed those players we'd have a better first 11/squad and would have undoubtedly have more points. What hes done with what hes got is very impressive.

 

 

[Hybrid Angel 2,130]

Paper thin squad, key injuries to Hazard, Kante, Bakayoko, bang average players in some of the positions in the starting XI, not backed in the summer, etc.

Still finishing second. Conte is a fantastic manager. It'd be the biggest mistake this board has ever made if we don't back this man in the market, whether that's January or next summer. I firmly believe he can build a dynasty - and that does not necessarily translate to a long stay at the club (which I wouldn't mind) - for the next decade. We have some fantastic talent here; Hazard, Courtois, Christensen, Morata, Kante, Loftus Cheek, etc. With a few signings, especially in the wing-back departments, I can see us improving several levels. 

[Thor 2,117]

It baffles me how some people cannot see the work this guy does to make this, and any other club he has worked with successful. 

 

The man is a winner, plain and simple. Like someone said, he is pragmatic, not defensive in his approach to games. Has he made mistakes this season? Sure, every manager has.

We have so many flaws and deficiencies on this team and we are in second spot. Even when we were in third it was impressive. In my opinion, we're far and away from having the best team in the league, and out of the top 6, I feel we have the most holes in our team. 

[Unionjack 7,531]

Conte press conference: Every word from Chelsea boss on Stoke rout, Morata's finishing and 2018 hopes

http://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/fixtures-results/conte-press-conference-every-word-14094608

 

[El P. 1,354]

I'm satisfied. Long live don Conte, stay at Chelsea for long long time.

We've seen him at the good times, we've seen him at the bad times. Never ever has he lost control, never ever this team under him have gone AWOL like under Mourinho. After every loss we bounced back in upcoming weeks. Second place at the table, with this team, says it all. And even if we finish third it would still be good.

[the wes 7,212]

CONTE WILLING TO SELL

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte does not want unhappy players bringing down the morale of the squad - and would consider allowing any players worried that their lack of first-team action is jeopardising their World Cup hopes to leave.

Brazil defender David Luiz and Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi are the players most likely to be concerned over their chances.

"I understand if some players are not playing with regularity and want to play with regularity. I will understand if someone is worried about the World Cup.

"I prefer to have players very happy to stay here than to have players that are unhappy. Because when you are unhappy you transfer this to the other players, to me, to my staff and I don't like this. I'd like to avoid this situation."

[Unionjack 7,531]

7 hours ago, the wes said:

CONTE WILLING TO SELL

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte does not want unhappy players bringing down the morale of the squad - and would consider allowing any players worried that their lack of first-team action is jeopardising their World Cup hopes to leave.

Brazil defender David Luiz and Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi are the players most likely to be concerned over their chances.

"I understand if some players are not playing with regularity and want to play with regularity. I will understand if someone is worried about the World Cup.

"I prefer to have players very happy to stay here than to have players that are unhappy. Because when you are unhappy you transfer this to the other players, to me, to my staff and I don't like this. I'd like to avoid this situation."

This is the bit that upsets me bruv

Conte: "No, I changed the number. Not me, not me. No, no. I think there is maybe this habit here, but I’m not involved in the transfer market. I give my opinion, but the club decides the players they want to buy, to invest in.”

IMHO from reading inbetween the lines he is asked by the club for his opinion on WHAT POSITION we need to strengthen and he only gives his opinion on the player he feels we need IF he is asked for it. He says that OTHER CLUBS hes been at has a sporting director who he talks to (inferring we don't work that way). I think this has upset/pissed him off so much that hes even changed his number so he cant receive agents calls etc.

I had an idea going back to Mous 1st arrival when there was a report trhat it was in his contract that he had nothing to do with buying,selling of players and was only asked for his opinion.

I honestly dont understand how a club can operate like this. The manager should have a major say in transfers and at least have a veto to stop transfers he didn't like.