#2 Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte showed the Premier League what a manager he is by changing the fortunes of a struggling Chelsea side after their 3-0 loss against Arsenal in the opening stages of the season. Since then, the Blues have looked a whole different side and are now comfortably leading the Premier League.
Anyone who has followed Conte over the years will know how sound a manager the Italian is, tactically. He was the undisputed king in Serie A during his time at Juventus and he is now on the verge of winning the Premier League in his first season in England. Moreover, who can forget Italy’s solid run in the Euro 2016 with an average team? The Italians overcame adversity to defeat much stronger teams like Belgium and Spain without much fuss.
Breaking down a team managed by Conte is really hard. Would you have believed me if I told you a year ago that Victor Moses would play a big part in Chelsea’s title win? No, right? That’s where the Italian trumps most managers in the world. He is willing to adapt and evolve.
Conte is an admirer of the three-at-the-back system. His system at Juventus was 3-5-2, whereas, at Chelsea, he has employed the 3-4-3. However, Conte has used a number of tactics in his career including the 4-4-2, 4-2-4, 4-4-2 diamond, 4-3-3 et al. His biggest strength is that he knows his team’s capability and he also has the shrewdness to read the opposition perfectly.
He plays each and every player in positions they are comfortable in and is not afraid to drop big names. Another aspect that separates him from the rest is that he refuses to tinker with a winning formula. At Chelsea, he has fielded the same eleven players in almost all the games since they began their winning run.
