Chelsea: Nicolo Barella on what the Blues gave up and have since regained

Nicolo Barella spent a lot of time in Chelsea’s transfer rumour mill last season. Barella is now at Inter Milan, where he is experiencing what two seasons’ of Chelsea players knew about confidence and success under Antonio Conte.

Chelsea were linked with Nicolo Barella during the first half of last season, with Barella shaping up as some combination of a replacement for Cesc Fabregas, a deputy for Jorginho and a replacement for N’Golo Kante. Compared to the other two players the Blues signed at Maurizio Sarri’s behest, Barella would have been a useful addition to the squad, although not at the eventual expense of Kante (had Sarri stayed) and not given what has shaped up as a glut of midfielders under Frank Lampard.

The transfer obviously never happened, but Barella is still getting a chance to share in a recent Chelsea experience by spending the season with Antonio Conte at Inter Milan, who have an obligation to buy in his loan contract.

Barella reinforced what many players have said about Antonio Conte. Conte’s teams run “not only because they are well prepared. It is the outcome of what he puts in your head.” Barella said Conte “immediately told us the clear things he wanted and we are putting them into practice.”

Now we regularly advise caution before taking players at face value when they talk about how much they enjoy working with their current coach. Look no further than Cesc Fabregas’ and Jorginho’s comments during and after their time with Maurizio Sarri. So when Barella says “I’d die for him, that applies to all his players,” take it not with a grain of salt but a salt lick that would satisfy an entire herd of deer.

Even so, the sentiment Barella expressed so hyperbolically about Conte is consistent with what Conte’s players always say about him. They acknowledge how hard he makes them work in training, particularly on their physical conditioning (poor Romelu), but they also say things like “run through hell,” “run through a brick wall” and other such expressions of motivation and a desire never to let him down.

For some players and some squads, these sentiments turn pathological after a few years under his disciplinary and conditioning regimes.

Some men really like their ketchup in the canteen, and they apply pressure up the chain of command to hire someone more fun. Others end up not appreciating Conte’s habit of saying “the clear things he wanted,” such as when he tells players sure, go ahead, take that mega-contract in China and then tersely informs them a few months later that he has no place in his squad for them. But at least he does tell them, directly and clearly and with justification. Diego Costa never had to wonder like Gary Cahill did.

After their year of living stupidly, Chelsea are picking up where they left off in their managerial values under Frank Lampard. Lampard has high demands of his players. His training does not have as much dedicated fitness and conditioning work as Antonio Conte, but they had very little time or energy for golfing during his preseason. Lampard is explicit with what he expects out of his players, and a desire to be at Chelsea is a truly necessary condition (Diego Costa, meet David Luiz). And Lampard is engendering the loyalty among his players that translates into motivation among those he has, and a desire to join from others who respect and understand what he is doing.

Lampard never worked with Antonio Conte, but Conte was the natural successor to the 11 Chelsea managers Lampard did play for and learn from. Lampard, now, is a natural successor to Antonio Conte. Conte suffered so Lampard could return home, as the saying might go.

Things seem to have worked out well for Nicolo Barella, just as they ultimately did for Conte and Chelsea. Barella and Inter Milan have Conte-esque confidence: “Are we on par [with Juventus]? Yes.” Barella said.

That’s a necessary ingredient for Inter Milan to repeat what Conte did for Chelsea and win the league in his first season. Inter Milan have a two point lead heading into the Derby d’Italia, where Juventus’ run of eight Serie A trophies means less than ever.