LUIZ: WE THINK.. AND IT’S NOT ALL OVER
Defender reveals that Conte’s meticulous ’Thinkerman’ approach is the secret of their success and says: No one at Chelsea believes the title is all done just yet
DAVID LUIZ insists there will be no premature Chelsea title celebrations and vowed: “Nobody will think the job is done until it is done.”
Chelsea brushed aside Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park on Sunday in what many believed was their final major obstacle in the title race.
The Blues are four points clear of nearest rivals Tottenham with four games to go and need three wins from home matches against Middlesbrough, Watford and Sunderland plus a trip to West Bromwich.
But Luiz insists Chelsea are not getting carried away, saying: “To put it in straightforward terms, nobody at Chelsea will think the job is done until it is done.
“We still have some strong opponents left to play in the Premier League and must keep fighting in every game to win the title. I’m just thinking of winning the Premier League at the moment.
“This is my main goal for the season and I’ve always made it clear. We want to keep this momentum going.
“We’ve won so many big games this season and that’s crucial to keep giving you more and more confidence.”
Antonio Conte (right) has been the key to Chelsea’s transformation following their
disappointing 10th-place finish last season.
And Luiz hailed his “meticulous” Italian boss for leaving no stone unturned in his preparations and his manmanagement skills.
Luiz, 30, told FourFourTwo magazine: “He’s extremely meticulous. There isn’t a tiny detail he isn’t aware of.
“He’s the type of guy who sees things most people wouldn’t. In training he creates situations that he thinks could occur during the upcoming games – and it makes all the difference.”
The Brazil star, who returned to Stamford Bridge last summer from Paris SaintGermain, added: “He also knows how to motivate us and gives confidence to the whole squad. We all know that he trusts our ability and one of his best qualities is that he treats everyone equally. “There’s no difference between people. He sees all the players as parts of a unit and I think this is the secret of our success. “I didn’t think twice when I first heard about the opportunity to return to Chelsea. I was very proud to know that Conte had requested my services which makes it more special to return to a place where I had a beautiful history.”
Luiz, a figure of fun in his first spell at Stamford Bridge, has silenced the doubters who questioned Chelsea’s decision to re-sign him for £34million.
He has been pivotal to their title charge and saw his form acknowledged when he was named in the PFA team of the year last month.
Luiz, who won the FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League in his first spell, said: “I can’t deny this is a great feeling and yes, I do feel very proud of the praise this season.
“But it won’t mean anything if we don’t end up winning the competition. Winning the Premier League has always been an obsession of mine.
“This is one of the toughest competitions in the whole world. We’ve worked very hard to make this dream come true.”