At last a positive week for Chelsea Football Club; a convincing win over a very sorry Aston Villa with first goals, debutants and a clean sheet, the club have added to the genuine delight of Chelsea fans by announcing that Antonio Conte will take over as head coach following Italy’s participation in the Euros this summer.
Conte’s appointment eases the pressure on the board in the remaining weeks of the season; one thing Chelsea fans did not want was to be left uncertain over the direction of their club after a disappointing title defence.
The Italian boasts an impressive list of accolades and achievements in football, perhaps none more eye-catching than the 33 Serie A wins that saw Juventus finish on 102 points in the 2013/14 season, before the 46-year-old decided to take on the management of his home nation.
Labelled a manager with ‘a beast inside of him’ by former players, Conte is exactly the kind of character Chelsea need to get them back on track – somebody to restore the fight and pride that tends to go missing with the revolving door policy at Stamford Bridge.
Conte has a huge job on his hands: dealing with Eden Hazard, determining the future of club captain John Terry, restoring a winning mentality and the progression of academy products – the latter a major downfall of so many who have sat in the hot-seat.
Saturday’s win over Aston Villa saw a start for Kenedy and a debut for Jake Clarke-Salter at left-back, but the star of the show was perhaps Chelsea’s most promising young asset Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who (in traditional Frank Lampard style) arrived in the box mid-way through the first half to place home an Azpilicueta cross – the midfielder’s first Premier League goal.
At 20 years of age, Loftus-Cheek looks destined for big things at Chelsea. Born in London and with Chelsea since U8’s, the midfielder is one of the only academy prospects yet to receive the dreaded loan treatment by the club.
There’s no doubting Loftus-Cheek’s ability; a more than powerful presence, technically gifted and an eye for goal, the youngster has every chance of being a dominant figure at Chelsea in the next decade.
First given a chance in the bizarre post-season tour of America in 2013, Loftus-Cheek impressed against Yaya Toure and left Chelsea fans with high expectations of things to come.
Under Mourinho, Loftus-Cheek seemed to take a step back for every two steps forward. Public criticism by Mourinho last season saw the midfielder missing from the squad for a number of weeks, but Mourinho had promised Blues fans that they would be seeing a lot more of the youngster the following season.
It hasn’t exactly gone to plan. The 20-year-old’s progression has been stinted somewhat, with occasional and often ineffectual cameo appearances of the bench, Chelsea fans were left frustrated.
Ruben has seen slightly more game time under Hiddink, and seems to impress more when he’s given the chance to start the game as opposed to making an appearance of the bench.
What the youngster has is something that Chelsea’s new boss will admire. Desire to win the ball, an undeniable passion for the club he has been at since the age of eight, and a bucket-load of ability.
Chelsea fans will take encouragement from Conte’s work with Paul Pogba; converting him from a lost teenager to one of Europe’s greatest talents.
Conte can be the man to push Loftus-Cheek that step further. A feature of Conte’s Juventus team was the work in the midfield – Vidal and Pogba quickly became one of the most feared midfield pairings in world football, while Pirlo was given the freedom to dictate the game.
Loftus-Cheek has drawn comparisons with former blue Michael Ballack, a presence Chelsea still miss in the midfield.
The next step for the 20-year-old is to cement a place in the team every week. Whether the youngster can impress Conte enough to persuade him not to spend big in the summer will be a big factor in what role Loftus-Cheek plays at Chelsea next season.
Given the right guidance and attention, Chelsea’s golden boy can be Conte’s West London legacy.
