The 4-3-3
Now tactically, let’s discuss another one of Antonio Conte’s favorite formations. The 4-3-3 is something that the current Chelsea squad will be a lot more familiar with. Since Jose Mourinho introduced it during his first spell, every manager has fallen back on it at some point.
Conte uses the 4-3-3 shape but utilizes the players slightly differently than done by previous Blues bosses. Conte is known to be a fan of simple out-and-out wingers. You know, the race to the byline and pound crosses into the box type. Previous Chelsea managers have used the inverted wingers playing off a target man.
That was admittedly because Didier Drogba (perhaps the best ever example of a pure target man) could be best used in that system and thus he improved the play of all those around him. Frank Lampard was improved by that system and was perhaps the best box-to-box midfielder in Europe for a five-year period during that time.
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Let’s assume that Chelsea are able to sign Nainggolan and Bonucci. Only those two. The way that Chelsea most likely line up in a 4-3-3 with those players is Courtois-Azpilicueta-Bonucci-Zouma-Ake-Fabregas-Nainggolan-Loftus-Cheek-Willian-Costa-Hazard.
With the added energy and steel in midfield provided by Nainggolan, Fabregas will be freed up to wander into space and pick out the passes necessary for the more forward players to succeed.
This year should be a breakout year for Loftus-Cheek and so I think with his massive stride we’ll see him moving into the box-to-box powerhouse he should be. I see him as more of a Michael Ballack than a Lampard and that’s not necessarily a bad thing for this side.
Ballack was not the massive goal-scoring threat that Lampard was because his focus was more on passing and balancing out the midfield while the Englishman ran riot. I think Loftus-Cheek will be the same sort of calming presence in the new midfield while Cesc does whatever it is that he does.
The other big differences in the squad are the addition of Ake and Bonucci. Ake has played well enough for the past two years that if Chelsea are serious about this youth development thing they simply have to let the kid play.
He was excellent at left-back for Watford last term and should be given the chance to make the step up especially since the person he is competing against is the artist formerly known as Baba Rahman.
Next: Transfer targets for Chelsea’s biggest transfer window in club history
I have assumed that Zouma, once recovered from injury, will take his place back and switch in and out with John Terry. Bonucci will become the new rock in the Chelsea defensive crown and all should be right with the world at that point.