Antonio Conte’s training ground at Chelsea: High standards, daily tactics sessions
By George Perry
Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard cite Antonio Conte’s exacting demands and emphasis on tactical perfection for their individual and club success this season. Both drew pointed contrasts with Jose Mourinho’s approach on the training ground.
Chelsea’s nine point lead with 14 games remaining has Premier League watchers realizing that Antonio Conte has created something new and lasting at Stamford Bridge. The Blues’ win streak is no longer a novelty item. People are now trying to understand how Conte not only turned around a team on the brink but set a new standard for the Premier League.
Chelsea’s Belgian stars Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard took turns talking to SkySports this week. They each provided insight into how Conte took last year’s 10th place club and made it the runaway league leaders.
"You have to be at your top every week, and that’s what makes you champion. If you have a manager who is not demanding then sometimes you relax and you lose games. – Thibaut Courtois, SkySports"
Courtois went on to talk about how he is improving his footwork to contribute more to Chelsea playing out from the back. This is an individual improvement that will serve the club’s system – exactly what Conte demands from his players.
The goal-keeper’s commitment to better ball-handling highlights the importance of tactics to Antonio Conte, something Eden Hazard affirmed.
"In tactics and training we do more with Conte. We work a lot of tactical positions and we know exactly what we have to do on the pitch, where I have to go and where the defenders have to go. – Eden Hazard, SkySports"
Hazard contrasted Conte’s daily, hands-on, meticulous tactical sessions with Jose Mourinho’s lax attitude towards that aspect of the game. Hazard said that Mourinho “put in a system but we didn’t work lots.”
Hazard’s comments cut to a frequent criticism of Jose Mourinho’s approach. Mourinho seeks proven stars that he can slot into his standard 4-2-3-1 like replaceable widgets. He expects that top footballers know their role in a well-established system, and therefore need little training to execute it.
The emphases on high standards and tactical drilling are inseparable with what Antonio Conte does to motivate his players. Conte brings out the best in every player in training and on game day. He imposes high demands on his players, but he can empathize with them and he lives his passion. As a result, the players internalize his demands and make them their own.
Jose Mourinho would try to provoke Eden Hazard, thinking this would incite his competitiveness. Instead, it led to Hazard’s disillusion last season and contributed to the overall team breakdown. That technique may work with Diego Costa, but not someone like Hazard who thrives on happiness and confidence rather than aggression.
Next: David Luiz exceeding all expectations in his second go-around at Chelsea
Courtois and Hazard provide glimpses into the Antonio Conte machine at Chelsea. But no one aspect defines or explains Chelsea’s success. Conte has created a holistic environment of football greatness, one all the more impressive given that he has done it in barely seven months.