Building the Antonio Conte empire at Chelsea, part 3 of 3: Be like Ferguson, not Wenger
By Travis Tyler
As Antonio Conte lays the groundwork for a long-term impact at Chelsea he will need to continue the flexibility he demonstrated this season. Meanwhile, the club needs a clear-eyed approach to evaluating him against the last two Premier League empire-builders: Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.
A hallmark of a great manager is that he can adapt to the situation he finds himself in or force the situation to adapt to him. Antonio Conte is the former. He likes to look at what he has and make the tactics work. He does not commit to a tactic and then force the players into it.
Conte’s career shows how he has used several formations with success. Even in his first season at Chelsea he showed this flexibility. He started pre-season with a 4-4-2/4-2-4, one of his favorites. As preseason progressed and new players arrived or left, he shifted towards a 4-1-4-1/4-3-3 formation.
Those lineups worked until one very bad week saw defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal. Conte, rather than sticking with the plan, tore it up and started again with a 3-4-3/3-4-2-1. The club did not look back as the ran away with the title.
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Even during games, when the result was still in the balance, Conte opted to switch formations to try a new angle. Frequently, he shifted to a 4-2-3-1/4-2-4 when Chelsea needed a goal, or a 3-5-2 when defending a lead.
Conte’s flexibility is a positive sign, as managers must always avoid complacency. It would be too easy to stick with the 3-4-3 because of its success in 2016/17. But eventually, the rest of the league will learn how to defeat that formation. When that happens, Conte must be able to tear up the plan and start again as he already has.
To do this, he must ensure that every player in a large squad is happy and ready to play at a moment’s notice. This is a difficult proposition when only 11 players out of the full 25 ever see the pitch.
Conte must rotate his squad in cup competitions. This will keep some players fresh, others match fit, and will give an opportunity to try new tactics in a competitive environment.
The addition of Champion’s League will make this task easier, but the job must start as soon as the previous season ends. He must select his transfer targets, assess the youth, analyze his tactics and rotate his players.
Keeping a large squad happy and successful over four competitions is a herculean task that goes on year-round. Antonio Conte must be three steps ahead of the current reality at all times.