OUR WAY to prove Fergie wrong and into real title challengers

BOSS ANT HEARD OF HIS £32m PREM STAR KANTE centre stage & Puelling strings

It’s very important and I try to transfer this on to all my players every day of every week and every game.

“We must be ambitious but to be like that you must work a lot.

“N o w, I’m happy with the work that we are doing and I’m sure that if we go on in this way, we can have good satisfaction for our work. I’m sure about this.

“But I repeat, it’s very important now to be focused on the work during training, game by game and to try to improve.” Chelsea crashed out of the EFL Cup at West Ham on Wednesday night. Conte sent out what was basically his second-string and has brought in a system that could signal the end of John Terry – but few can argue it works when the players perform. The Chelsea skipper was heavily criticised on Twitter for his performance at West Ham by fans who once would not have had a word said CHELSEA boss Antonio Conte has honestly revealed that he had NEVER heard of N’Golo Kante before he arrived in England. “I have now,” the Italian said. Conte believes he is seeing a midfield superstar who could propel the Stamford Bridge side towards the title he helped Leicester lift last season.

Kante, 25 (right) was on Arsenal’s radar when he was playing for Caen in France but Gunners boss Arsene Wenger held back, believing the Frenchman was not ready for the Premier League and the Foxes moved in to seal his signature.

And after a spellbinding campaign in which he helped Leicester claim their first top-flight title, a £32million summer switch to the Blues took place.

But Conte is not too proud to admit he had never heard of the midfield powerhouse before arriving in England.

He said: “Did I know him before I came here? The answer is no. I do now.

“I think he’s a complete midfielder, not only a defensive midfielder.

“You can see in the last three league games he could have scored three goals.

“Against Hull he just missed after the ball came back off the post, against Leicester there was a deflection and then he scored against Manchester United.

“He’s a player that always arrives in the box at the right time, he has fantastic stamina and good technique.

“I like when N’Golo goes to press the play in the and to start the action with some quality passing.”

Once again this summer Saints lost key players and once again it seems to have made little difference, with Romeu stepping seamlessly into Victor Wanyama’s role following his move to Tottenham.

“Tough tackling is the first quality of the player in this position,” added against him. Will Conte pick his captain to start today at St Mary’s?

He said: “It’s a difficult decision but my decisions are for the best of the team.

“But it can be difficult in the other roles on the pitch.

“I think that in the last three games all the players that I called played very well – those who started and those who came on from the bench.

“My decisions are only to win and the captain is always a big part. But if you play or if you don’t play, it’s not vital.

“When I make a choice, I don’t see these type of things. If one player is captain or vice-captain, it’s not important.

“It’s more important to find the right solution to make the best decision for the team.

“I can make a mistake but I try to take always the best decision.” system we are playing now, I like it a lot. N’Golo is very good.

“I remember before the game against Leicester, many people said that he is a different player compared to last year, when he played for them.

“But I said he is playing very well at the moment and we are very pleased to have him here in the side playing for us.”

TONY STENSON Puel (right). “But in this position it is important to protect the defence. “That is the role of Oriol with us.” Another former Stamford Bridge player, full-back Ryan Bertrand, could return against his old side after recovering from a hamstring injury.

But Jay Rodriguez is a doubt after going off against Sunderland in the EFL Cup in midweek after a clash of heads, while Cedric Soares, Matt Targett and Shane Long are still out of contention too.

Back-up keeper Alex McCarthy will be missing from the bench after tweaking a hamstring against the Black Cats which will sideline him for three weeks.

STEVE MORGAN