When Antonio Conte arrived at Chelsea, the expectation was that the new manager would put a rocket under the club's chronically under-performing team, who finished 10th in last season's Premier League.

His animated touchline style and determination to impose a non-negotiable pattern of play and tactical discipline on his team looked to be exactly what was required at the Stamford Bridge of sighs.

Training was intense, with Conte demanding that players adhere to the positions and shape he demanded, while dropping the once untouchable playmaker Cesc Fabregas from the starting lineup sent out a message that nobody's place was sacrosanct if they did not fit into the plans.

It all started so well and Chelsea looked something like their old, title-winning selves in beating West Ham on the opening Monday of the season. A late comeback then gave them a slightly fortuitous win at Watford before Burnley were outclassed in impressive fashion.

The Conte era was apparently off to a flying start, but perhaps we all overlooked that those victories came against modest opposition and a 2-2 draw at Swansea -- a match that should have been won -- was a sign that defensive frailties remained.

When a pair of acid tests came against higher-class opponents, Conte's team failed them miserably. Despite the narrow 2-1 scoreline Chelsea were, in truth, well beaten by Liverpool and Saturday's 3-0 thrashing by Arsenal underlined the team's defensive shortcomings when John Terry is unavailable.

It is strange to relate with an Italian coach, but Chelsea have real problems in defence, having conceded two goals or more in each of their last four matches.

How Conte must wish he could have brought the classy Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini with him from Juventus. Instead he has an injured, 35-year-old Terry, a currently shaky Gary Cahill and the erratic David Luiz, who clearly was not Conte's first choice as a central defensive signing.

There also has to be a major question mark about Branislav Ivanovic, who has been a splendid servant but now looks a fair way past his best, having had a few chasings over the last year by opposing wingers.

Even once highly-coveted goalkeeper Thibault Courtois has perhaps failed to live up the hype that resulted in the ousting of club legend Petr Cech. Could the Belgian's place soon be under threat from Asmir Begovic?

Further forward, despite the energy that N'Golo Kante brings, Chelsea often look pedantic in their build-up play with Nemanja Matic, in particular, a somewhat laboured presence in midfield; the modern game revolves so much about the speed at which defence can be turned to attack and, in that regard, Chelsea do not look good enough as yet.

Eden Hazard is much improved on last season but there is too much dependence on him providing the service for Diego Costa who, despite appearing capable of starting an argument in an empty room, has five goals in six league games. Willian, on the other flank, has not quite hit the heights of the previous campaign.

Conte is starting to cut a haunted figure in interviews, perhaps realising that the job of reviving Chelsea's fortunes is a little bigger than it might have seemed in the opening weeks of the season.

In essence, he is still dealing with the same players who caused Jose Mourinho so many problems last season. There was a feeling back then that a major clear-out was needed. It has not happened but, perhaps, it should have.

Conte is such a good coach that you would back him to sort things out but he himself is still adapting to the demands of the Premier League, where every point has to be quarried. Certainly a few eyebrows were raised at his failure to make a single substitution until the 81st minute against Liverpool, when Oscar in particular was having a negligible impact on proceedings.

Any notion that Conte has arrived with a magic wand after his exploits with Juventus and Italy have clearly been dispelled in the last 10 days. Chelsea do not look like title contenders and even a place in the top four might be a big ask on their current form.

Source:
courtesy of ESPNFC

by IAN DARKE

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