Antonio Conte has been a breath of fresh air for the Premier League and of course for Chelsea. Not only has he shown the adventure and daring required to play a completely new formation in the Premier League.
And not only have Chelsea played the most attacking and entertaining football in the division this season.
But Conte has also largely refused to criticise referees or other managers in public which is very atypical of Chelsea managers and the Premier League in general.
He’s a good guy who has managed to steam roller all the other teams in the title chase and Chelsea fans will be delighted to hear that he is very much planning to stay at Chelsea next season.
In an interview in which the manager says he is unhappy with other people speaking for him -including his agent – Conte is quoted in the Guardian as saying:
“I don’t like it when others speak for me,”
“Pastorello (Conte’s agent) is a friend, I know him well, but I don’t like when others speak for me. If someone wants to know something about me, then they must ask me. We’re fighting for the title and we want to achieve this goal, then we’ll try to build something important together.”
And when asked if he would be Chelsea manager next term he said:
“Yes, for the next season.”
Few would have dared to believe that anybody could improve on José Mourinho’s record at Chelsea. And although Conte has only been at The Bridge for a season his style of management and ability to achieve results would suggest that if he stays at the club for three or four years he could even surpass the trophy haul of The Special One.
Mourinho never won the Champions League with Chelsea after all and Conte looks as if he’s got a team which is much more geared to the rigours of European football.
Chelsea are seven points ahead of Tottenham in the title race with eight games left to play and most people believe that they are nailed on for the title. Next season it will be very interesting to see how far they get in Europe and it’s great to know that Conte will be at the helm.