Antonio Conte: Profile and Tactical Analysis

This summer will be an exciting time for Chelsea fans and journalists alike as Chelsea welcome Antonio Conte to Stamford Bridge, as the Italian will look to take the Blues back to where the belong after an atrocious title defending campaign which ended in Chelsea finishing 10th in the Premier league.

Conte, who is currently the manager of the Italian national team will look to implement his no-nonsense and tactical style of play that has brought him previous success at different clubs. The 46-year-old has had a brief yet successful managerial career that has seen him have stints at Arezzo, Bari, Atlanta, Siena, Juventus and currently with the Azzurri.

The Italian won his first trophy with Bari as they won Serie B in 2009 but didn’t make his name known until when he got Siena promoted in 2010-11 which attracted the interest from Juventus who had finished 7th in the year before and was assigned to do a similar job to what he has to do at Chelsea in the 2016-17 campaign. During his time at Bari, Conte would often use a 4-2-4 formation which would provide more of an attacking presence but is easily exploited on the counter-attack.

Conte had a fairly successful reign at Juventus as his ruthlessness and winning mentality motivated the old lady to win back-to-back-to-back Serie A titles after two successive 7th place finishes, he also won the Supercoppa Italiana twice in 2012-13 and 2013-14. Juventus’ success has contributed to Conte’s success as he won three ‘Serie A coach of the year awards’ in the same years that he won the league title and also won the Globe Soccer Award for best coach of the year in 2013.

When Conte speaks, his words assault you […] ‘They crash through the doors of your mind, often quite violently and settle deep within you. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve found myself saying, ‘Hell, Conte said something really spot-on again today’.

Andrea Pirlo’s arrival from AC Milan coincided with the start of Conte’s reign. In his playing career, Conte played for Juventus for 14 years and ended an illustrious career at the club, so it was only right for him to return and resurrect them from their ‘potential’ grave.

I was expecting him to be good, but not this good. […] ‘I’ve worked with a lot of coaches and he’s the one who surprised me the most […] One little speech, a few simple words, was all it took for him to win me over. […]

‘Lads, we’ve finished seventh in the last two years. Crazy stuff, absolutely appalling. I’ve not come here for that […] It’s time we stopped being crap.

Turning around this ship is not a polite request; it’s an order, a moral obligation. […] You guys need to do only one thing and it’s pretty simple: follow me. Get it into your heads. We must return to the levels where we belong, the ones written into the history of this club’.

Quotes from Andrea Pirlo’s book – ‘I think therefore I play’

Pirlo speaks of Conte as an enforcer, a man-machine, a monster which is the perfect match for Chelsea as the blues were slacking and had no motivation under Hiddink in the second half of the season.

Antonio Conte is a man of variation but like every manager, they have a preferred formation and in this case a 3-3-4. It is very likely that the Italian deploys with this formation in the Premier League next season so it will be interesting to see from the current squad who would fit his tactics and formation.

Tactics

In this formation, it requires three centre-backs that have to maintain high concentration throughout the whole match. When the goalkeeper has possession of the ball, the three centre-backs part and the deep lying playmaker fills in the whole and plays from the back. Leonardo Bonucci is wanted at Stamford Bridge next season but Cahill could also be an alternative with his ability to play out from the back.

When the opposition has possession of the ball, the players work as a unit and force the ball backwards and sideways so the team cannot make any attacking progress. The wing-backs sit back and tuck in slightly, forming a five-man defence which prevents any movement on the wings. The midfielders also restrict the movement through the middle and forces the opposition to go in a ‘U’ shape.

The wing-backs will need to have high cardiovascular endurance with the ability to have a creative spark at the ready when needed. Conte currently uses Candreva and Darmian for the national team but will most likely use the industrial Willian and one his most desired players Cuadrado as the wide men. Kenedy, Baba & Azpilicueta may also be options.

The midfield is a vital part of this formation as it requires two Centrocampista’s covering the Regista that dictates the game. At Juventus, Conte used Andrea Pirlo in the deeper role even though he wasn’t known for his defensive ability which could indicate that Cesc Fabregas has an important role next season. Pirlo was partnered with Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio which allowed Pirlo more freedom. Conte may look to revitalise Oscar’s Chelsea career which looks to be heading south by playing him in the midfield role, something that may suit the hard working Brazilian.

Italy’s biggest weakness at this moment in the time is their attacking prowess with mainly Eder & Pelle at their disposal but is something Chelsea can offer. Eden Hazard could play centrally behind the striker which could be Diego Costa but his future is currently up in the air as speculation increases about a return to Atletico.

Antonio Conte’s stint at Chelsea could be a successful one if he is given the time to implement his tactical style of play and given the players he needs to progress and make Chelsea a frightening force to play against once again.

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