The best Antonio Conte teams have always been an extension of the manager himself.
A ferociously aggressive, energetic side but also diligent in their discipline and dedication to carry out a defined game plan.
It’s how he dragged Juventus from wallowing in self-pity in 2011 and how he got the best out of an average Italy side at Euro 2016.
Attributes of this nature are why a player of Conte’s limitations thrived in a Juventus midfield in the late 1990s alongside technicians such as Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps and Edgar Davids.
It’s the reason why he captained the side for much of that golden era under Marcello Lippi, a coach who required almost limitless levels of intensity with each performance.
Conte was the ultimate team-mate, unfussy and unselfish who allowed others to showcase their skills and ultimately receive the bulk of the glory.
'We know it will be tough but the game arrives at the right moment for us.’
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 22, 2016
Antonio Conte pic.twitter.com/oGYDRgucRf
That has echoed into his coaching career as while his touchline histrionics mark him out as a genuine individual, away from the drama of the pitch he is measured and thoughtful. He wants his players to take centre stage but in achieving it they have to work. And work extremely hard, at that.
He is, of course, not alone as Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino all fit into the bracket of demanding similar levels of intensity. However, what currently singles Conte out is his Chelsea side are nowhere near the image he has crafted for his teams.
We now know what Klopp’s Liverpool, Guardiola’s City and Pochettino’s Spurs are all about. Chelsea, though, are a side without any discernible identity.
Conte has alluded to the fact this is a group of players trying to rebuild their confidence post-Jose Mourinho. But it’s more than that.
Mourinho has defined everything about that club in the Abramovich era: their pragmatic style and a willingness to play the villain in an unrelenting and insatiable quest for success. Each Blues boss has tried and failed to varying degrees in establishing a different ethos, but the Portuguese’s presence has never gone away, his spirit only enhanced by his 2013 return.
On the face of it, the Italian’s charisma made him the perfect man to restore the title-winning mentality and even echo the sort of impact the Portuguese made in 2004, but his cult of personality will only get him so far.
A greater turnover of players was required in the summer than shipping out Papy Djilobodji and bringing in David Luiz, Marcos Alonso and Michy Batshuayi. N’Golo Kante was a smart addition but too many still remain in that squad who look ill-suited to Conte’s methodology.
As talented as Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard, Gary Cahill, Oscar and Luiz (still one of the more bizarre summer signings in the context of what was wanted at Stamford Bridge) are, they don’t seem to possess the sort of mentality that matches their manager’s.
The flipside of that being Diego Costa, whose primal instinct is perfect for Conte and the striker has reflected that with seven goals in eight Premier League games.
Conte is trying to teach new tricks and processes to experienced and established internationals at a club where player power has reigned supreme. As a side point, it’s why Nathaniel Chalobah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ola Aina will continue to get minutes on his watch – young players tend to be a little more malleable.
It makes for a challenging set of circumstances, as Conte’s vision – in a league, culture and language he’s still adapting to – must be at least two seasons down the line.
The visit of Mourinho’s Manchester United may provide some kind of symbolic touchstone. as victory would imply he’s starting to get his message across; defeat and the Portuguese’s influence is far from extinguished.
