The Conte Thread

[MefiX19 1,092]

Some of you really need to understand that he has managed us in 2 official games, atleast give him like 10 games so we can see our full potential. Plus we still don't have a proper CB and LB

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

Conte also spoke about the need to buy a defender before the transfer window closes

‘If you look now at the Chelsea squad we only have five defenders, and four started the game today. [Ola] Aina is a guy of the Academy, [born in] 96, very good with great potential, but you know with a young player you must work to improve him and put him in the first team.

‘I am sure Aina has a good future, but with the numbers, five defenders, if there is an injury or a ban we are in trouble. The club and I know this, and we are talking every day to improve the squad, but we know the market is very difficult.

‘I don’t want to buy a player only to buy him, I want to buy the right player for Chelsea, for the present and for the future. A good prospect. It’s important we make a good investment.’

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

Conte: We are a family

Antonio Conte highlighted the impact of his three substitutes as well as the commitment shown by all his players as he assessed the late show at Watford today.

In charge of the Blues for the first time away from home, Conte watched on as one sub, Michy Batshuayi, equalised an earlier Watford goal and another, Cesc Fabregas, set up Diego Costa’s winner. That was just one aspect of today’s performance that left the boss very pleased…

‘It was the same against West Ham,’ Conte pointed out.

‘It’s normal because when you push during the game for 70 minutes, usually the opposition pays for their effort.

‘Usually when new players come on during the game it happens that there is a great impact. I’m pleased for Moses, for Cesc, for Batshuayi because their impact was very good. It’s important for me, this. It shows the great spirit of the team, the right attitude, the right commitment.

‘I understand when you don’t start the game usually you aren’t happy. The manager must choose the starting XI and then try to find the right solution during the game. We saw this in these two games.

‘I repeat: I’m happy for the commitment and attitude of the players. It shows a good family, a good team.’

Diego Costa provided the decisive strike once more
‘He has scored two goals but I would prefer him to have scored before the end! Diego is working very hard like the other players. He can improve a lot with work. He is an important player for us. It’s important for him to always stay concentrated on the game and not think about the other situations.

‘Also Batshuayi is a young player with great potential who can improve a lot. They can play together not only during the game but also at the start of the game.’

Fabregas provided the assist with an inch-perfect defence-splitting pass
‘We all know Cesc. He’s a great player with great technique, with a good pass and a good assist.

‘I made this substitution because at that moment I wanted more quality and I saw Watford were thinking only to defend their goal.

‘I am pleased with his attitude. He is working very hard during the training sessions to show me he deserves to play. I want to see this, that all the players show me they deserve to start the game.

‘I am a very happy manager when I see this commitment. When you have many players thinking about the team and not himself, it’s important. This situation is happening at Chelsea.’

Conte urged his players back to the halfway line after Batshuayi’s leveller
‘I didn’t want to celebrate because we were 1-1, not 1-2. For this reason I pushed my players a bit. I saw also in this situation the will to come back very soon and to start to play.

‘The start of the season is important to change the situation compared to last season. We know it’s not easy but we are trying with all our strength.

‘Work always pays off. I know we are very working hard. We will continue to work very hard.

‘Normally these wins are very important to improve, to transfer the work, for our confidence to rise, because after a bad season like last year it’s not easy to start, to win two games. It won’t be easy but I’m pleased it happened.’

 

http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2016/08/conte-after-watford-win.html

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

[LDN Blue 7,903]

11 days, 3 hours & 25 minutes until the British transfer window closes. I seriously hope the club has seen how we've, yet again, conceded and our manager is crying for them to sign a centreback. Be it Koulibaly or whoever, they need to get moving on Monday otherwise we're seriously underestimating how hard the forthcoming season is actually going to be. 

Offensively I don't really have a problem, even if we don't sign James Rodriguez or Lukaku. Between Hazard finding his feet, Costa seeming like he's up for scoring and Willian just being Willian we can score. Not to mention fringe players such as Cesc showing what he can do today, Pedro found himself a goal last week too so we're not completely swimming blind. 

Our weaknesses are far too obvious for any competent opposing manager though. How we begin another season with Ivanovic, who I'll admit played decent last week, who was shocking today I still can not understand. Both he and Cahill were equally liable today for the goal. I can understand Ivanovic not having the pace anymore, he didn't get any crosses in today and was helpeless to prevent them. However what sets him apart from Terry is how weak he is in a positional format, Terry is second to none in being in the right place at the right time - A trait Cahill and Ivanovic have not learned. Zouma, please return soon!

[Barbara 15,149]

5 hours ago, Adnane said:

Personally believe you got a bit carried away there Barbara.

although the TV showed a yellow for Britos for that tackle on Hazard in the first, it looks like they got carried away about it and it doesn't exist.

Everything else I stand by my words. With the pre-season Aina showed, why is Iva still there?

Explain what was Matic role today? He wasn't the DM - that was Kante. He wasn't the B2B, Kante did some of that and so did Oscar. The moment he was subbed off it felt like we had one more player, although we still had 11 players. 

I said in one of the posts I understand Conte is new at the league and by that I meant he's probably trying to get the gist of it, and being more cautious, but he must be bolder in the future if we are aiming anything and I hope/think he will. It just I don't like to look like that kind of person that pretends everything is perfect when results are coming and then go from heaven to hell when the slightest thing goes wrong.

Playing Iva will bite him in the ass eventually. There's no other way around it. We don't have creative players, Hazard is very talented, but not that much creative. If he continues to have Matic playing nothing, someday we won't have Costa scoring the winners (he might even be suspended lol).

I just wanted to address that while I'm thankful for what he has merit, he also has a few problems to fix. Pointing those problems won't take away from him.

I agree being carried away about not watching Chelsea. I can't stand see Iva's name in the lineup, but I wish I would  be detached enough to stop watching. I won't... unfortunately because I get way fed up and riled up watching him.

[Tomo 21,681]

Watching Burnley play Liverpool today gives me a bit of a headache thinking about how Antonio should set up against them when they come here next weekend.

Burnley played two banks of four behind the ball and restricted Liverpool too long shots, we are almost certainly going to face that, so in theory Cesc and Bats in the Xl and reverting to 4-4-2 is the most logical choice but on the flip side Burnley countered really well when they had the ball so that could be a serious problem with our defense and only Kante to protect them.

[Unionjack 7,531]

I know its early and hes made some selections thats druven me crazy but I love this guy. You can totaly understand how his players get close to him.

I'm just watint to play in North London and he goes diving into the home dugout by accident to celebrate Costa scoring from a Cescy assist! Would give vinegar tits a stroke!

[DoubleO 192]

Too early to make big conclusions but at least it looks like we have got back this ability of turning the games to wins in the last minutes. For many years I think we haven't been very good in that sense. Scoring a late winner is maybe the best feeling in football, but of course it would be nice to seal games also in the earlier stage.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

Surely he knows now that 4-4-2 is our best formation going forward. Sure, the wingers can be toyed with some more but that must be our base.

[blues.bridge 340]

9 minutes ago, CurlyHairLikeLuiz said:

Sicuramente sa ora che il 4-4-2 è il nostro migliore formazione per il futuro. Certo, le ali possono essere giocato con un po 'di più, ma che deve essere la nostra base.

in my opinion 4-3-3 is still good! just put off costa and one between oscar and matic and put on fabregas and Batua

[LondonsFinest 692]

Can I start by saying how happy I am we appointed this man. I just like the charisma he has, the passion he brings with him and the tactical estute he also has. 

Yes he started the same line up and Mazzari, knowing Antonio's style counter played it by exploiting our weak full backs. Oscar had an off game, which he didn't have vs WH, same as Matic. But his substites came at a perfect time. He wanted to try and penetrate them first with Moses, they were still compact, so he waited on them being perfectly tired so he brought on the physical and pacey presence in Michy and Fabregas to supply and control the game. He knows when and how. This is not me overrating, well maybe a bit, but fuck me, if this was Jose he'd have brought in Chalobah, Ruben and Michy so that we can pump long balls forwards hoping we get an equaliser, Conte grabbed the game by the fucking balls knowing we had nothing to lose. He's making that team get together and if he succeeds, he'll be here, hopefully, for the long. 

[Milan 17,835]

 

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Not so sure about the reason why Conte want to make everyone know that we desperately need to sign defenders? Maybe to turn someone's head around (Koulibaly)?

Now every club will set even higher price for every defender we are after.

 

[Magic Lamps 11,447]

Despite being absolutely delighted about our two last minute wins, I fear that those are the type of oppositions we should sweeps aside with the quality we have. So, while heralding Conte's ability to instill fighting spirit into the team this early on, we should address why we made such hard work of it in the first place. IMO we still do not have the mechanisms to breakoppositions down quickly enough. Only few teams have the technical tools to dominate an opponent throughout the whole match and score after minutes of posession and dozens of passes. We certainly do not belong to that group. Consequently, we should focus on a more direct build up play from midfield instead of relying on our wingers to carry the ball out of our own third  as they have to in most cases. I am sure having Cesc rejoin the starting XI will remedy some of those issued but I am not convinced it will suffice.

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

Conte: "Envy to the purchase of Higuain by #Juventus? No, no, absolutely not, but then they sold Pogba, so it was balanced." (Mediaset) #CFC

[Muzchap 8,966]

5 hours ago, RoyalBlues said:

Not so sure about the reason why Conte want to make everyone know that we desperately need to sign defenders? Maybe to turn someone's head around (Koulibaly)?

Now every club will set even higher price for every defender we are after.

 

No offence but even Stevie Wonder can see we need defenders

Prices are already doubled and tripled to previous seasons - it's just how it will be from now on, the sooner youth starts to get a game, the better