NEIL MOXLEY Conte finds his nirvana... it smells like team spirit
I tried to explain the Wayne Rooney booze row to my nine-year-old daughter. “He’s been naughty because he stayed up late and went drinking when he shouldn’t,” I said. “OK,” she said while mulling over the explanation, “but mummy says you do that all the t
Fwolwloww. Tew. eurk: @peoplesport ANTONIO CONTE is taking Chelsea’s players on a glorious journey – and not just to the Riverside this afternoon.
The dark lord of Stamford Bridge is carrying more than just his swarthy good looks to the north-east.
A group of focused, motivated and hungry players is accompanying him.
Yes, whatever it is that the tough Italian taskmaster is saying in that dressing room, the players are clearly buying into his methods.
The five-goal demolition of Everton a fortnight ago was as dominant a performance as you are likely to see.
And a group who have, at times, looked as though stepping on to the pitch was about as palatable as a trip to the dentist’s look transformed.
Conte himself has said in the past that being a good coach “encompasses everything”.
Defeat to Arsenal has prompted a re-think at Chelsea’s swanky training headquarters in Cobham.
The Italian binned a back four, made David Luiz his defensive kingpin, deployed two wing-backs and, all of a sudden, hey presto. Pedro looks sharp and lively.
Freed from defensive responsibility, Hazard is living up to his name as far as opposition defences are concerned and Diego Costa is loving life so much that he has forgotten to pick a scrap with anyone for at least 10 minutes.
It can’t all be down to a change in tactics.
Where Conte scores heavily – and where Mourinho cannot – is that he has played the game.
Message
After a scorching start to the season, Hazard acidly commented that the Italian “knows players – because he is one”.
He might as well have used Jose Mourinho’s favourite mode of communication – the text message – and fired one up to Old Trafford.
Whatever went on last season, it was the considered opinion of both this observer and the crowd at the Bridge that the players weren’t going out on a limb for the Portuguese.
But Conte has somehow hot-wired into whatever makes this squad tick and, boy, is he seeing some results. Of course, this praise sets up Chelsea for an almighty fall on Teesside, but nevertheless it does raise further questions about Mourinho’s man-management.
Issues have surfaced twice when the going has been relatively good for Manchester United’s boss.
First at Real Madrid, where there was a dressing-room revolt in which club icon Iker Casillas was a major player.
And, second, at Stamford Bridge where all his good work second time around evaporated into thin air inside half a season.
Now, we have the situation where Manchester United’s boss has fired off in public at Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw for failing to play through the pain barrier.
That backfired upon the Portuguese big-time after it turned out that centreback Smalling had broken his toe.
Were I occupying the defender’s seat in the dressing-room, I’d be knocking on the manager’s door, asking why such criticism was made public.
After all, Sir Alex Ferguson rarely aired dirty washing. Yet here is