I ask this as I suggested him as a manager today to some United fans (I think their squad would really suit him) and they all turned their nose up at him, to my surprise. It made me wonder if despite all his achievements, he's a bit underappreciated. Over the last 10 years, without checking, he will be up there with the best coaches in the world both for trophies won and just how 'impressive' the job is (ie he wasn't just carrying on success from previous managers). He instigated Juventus' Serie A domination after they came back up from Serie B, was seen as doing a fine job with Italy for the players he had at his disposal, and while at Chelsea the 17/18 season went t-ts up (still won the FA Cup), 16/17 he of course won the PL first time of asking and a final away from doing the double.
He has an impressive track record, and in some ways it is like a lesser (less trophies won) Mourinho 2004-2010. He comes to clubs for 2-3 seasons, wins them some silverware, falls out with the board and leaves. Unlike Conte, when Mourinho did this he was still seen as a world leading manager, and although last season for us was so frustrating I still rate Conte highly as a manager. I don't think other managers could do what he did at Chelsea - he won the league with some very average players (despite a bit of a 'perfect storm' scenario), and what he did at Juventus is a world class feat that maybe only went under the radar in England as they were poor in Europe at the time.
I think he has a special talent to motivate fans and players. 16/17 was very enjoyable, to watch and experience. Probably the best season to experience since Carlo's double (for me). There was some turgid football the following year (which is what United fans told me they didn't want him for), but I think this comes hand in hand with the guy didn't try/sulked after doing what he does and falling out with the board. Bare in mind, even when this happened, to my eyes anyway, Conte didn't lose the dressing room as badly as others (well as bad as Mourinho 15/16). In the Barcelona CL knockout games last season the players despite poor league form were back up for it, motivated, working hard. Conte despite being basically comatose in league games was back running up and down the line. Willian and Alonso hit the post and tbh in another time we go through that game. And even in this poor season, we still won the FA Cup.
I've always said/thought he could be a truly great manager if he was able to sort out some of his deficiencies. Some of them would be theoretically easy. Use the squad better, make subs before 80 minutes. Some of them wouldn't...i.e. don't p-ss off the board and the players . But even then if I was United, and I wanted a guy to come in for 2-3 years, get them back on top (more like he did with Juve than us), get the most out of hard working players, he'd be near the top of the list. He is still young for a manager and I wonder if he will change how he works/manages in the future for the better.
I wanted to discuss our 16/17 season too but the article was long enough as it is, in terms of was it just a perfect storm or should full credit go to the managers and players..in reality probably a bit of both but an interesting debate I've had with a few people.
Is Conte Underappreciated as a Manager
posted on 18/12/18
It wasn’t a regular thing, granted, but I think you can see where players are struggling with the fundanentals. They are issues regardless of formation and they’ve often been shown up with this one.
I also find the formation to be flawed against a team that presses high without some top quality footballers in the cb positions, we don’t have this, they all struggle bringing the ball out or passing it.
I dunno what you are seeing in Lindelof, he’s had a few good games but in the main looks a very poor defender.
Back four formation is far better suited to this squad.
posted on 18/12/18
Great article
I think in hindsight more and more people will come to realise how brilliant he was for us.
He did not revolutionise the league in the same way Mourinho or Pep have done with their ideas and style - but in many areas he is on-par tactically with both managers.
The previous season teams countered and exploited our team badly. Opponents could easily sit back to negate our attacking players, and exploit our slow midfield and fullbacks on the counter attack.
I might be in the minority, but for me this was the biggest issue during Mourinho's final season. Fitness was also important, but the team was so poorly put together, that we were always destined to fail eventually once teams worked out how to play against us.
Mourinho and Hiddink failed to find a solution, and even under Conte at the start we were almost as vulnerable as the season before.
The change in system and the development of the players tactical awareness, was the driving force for our league title. He did not force players to adapt, he built a system around the players he inherited.
People seem to forget that our style was actually great during his first season - I would go as far as to say we played more attractive football under Conte than we have done under Sarri so far.
Much of his style actually was pretty progressive - we played from the back, we attacked the opposition in numbers and could counter extremely swiftly and devastatingly. He even gave freedom to our attacking players like Hazard and Willian, by using defensive cover of players like Matic and Kante.
The 2nd season was more conservative in approach, but the squad was lacking goals, and the loss of competent midfield partner for Kante had a huge toll on the team.
I only have good feelings for Conte, he was not perfect, but did an incredible job in revitalising the club.
He probably is not the right man for Manchester United, because he would have to be dealing with bigger egos there, than he ever had to deal with at Chelsea. However, I do agree with the OP that he is unfairly looked upon, by both rival fans and our own supporters too.
posted on 18/12/18
If not United, it’ll be interesting to see where he goes. His volatile nature leading to his exits will have been noted elsewhere - and unlike Mourinho he doesn’t have CL wins to fall back on when considering this. It appears to have scuppered him getting the Madrid job.
Marrotta isn’t at Juve anymore and with that their transfer policy is becoming far less frugal, which could potentially lessen the probability of conflict, if they could come to an agreement for his return.
I think Bayern could be the best fit right now of all the top European clubs.
posted on 18/12/18
Another top team that needs major work.
I can only think of City and Juve who are in a really good place in that regard. Barca and PSG to a lesser extent.
posted on 18/12/18
Bayern could be a good shout then. Not Europe’s top clubs anymore but Inter or Milan could be an option. Though I don’t know how he’d feel about working under their financial restrictions. FFP has hamstrung both of them.
posted on 18/12/18
Yeah long term for sure. You think no chance as Utd interim? I've no idea tbh.
posted on 18/12/18
He did not revolutionise the league in the same way Mourinho or Pep have done with their ideas and style - but in many areas he is on-par tactically with both managers.
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Doing him a slight disservice there. Three at the back was seen as an outdated, impractical formation which was far too easy to counter in England before Conte, and now three quarters of the PL do or have utilized it. England played it at the WC. Managers like Wenger & Mourinho who stubbornly stuck to a back 4 all their careers began using it. That's Conte's PL legacy
He represents the manager Mourinho used to be. Sees the game the same way, has many of the same flaws, he's just up to date with his methods and tactical approaches. Don't think he's underappreciated, most people see him for what he is, a top manager who'll no doubt have a magnificent career
posted on 18/12/18
Nah not for interim, if he gets the job it’ll be in the summer.
Conte no doubt had an impact on the use of the back three in the league, but teams were gradually becoming more accepting of the formation before he turned up.
Mancini, Koeman, Rodgers, Martinez and LVG all used the formation, off the top of my head. Think Pochettino did as well, definitely used it regularly the season Conte came in, which is unsurprising given he’s a student of Bielsa. Pretty sure some shiiiiiit teams were lining up with fuve at the back and parking the bus.
So I wouldn’t say he revolutionised it as such. Spurs and Chelsea playing so well with it that season regularly definitely influenced the use of it since, though.
posted on 19/12/18
True but the only manager in this country prior to Conte who wasn't ridiculed for using it was Rodgers, and even he didn't pull up any trees with it.
Conte was the first manager to introduce three at the back in the PL who truly understood how the formation works. The impression prior to Conte was it's a convenient way to combat a two man strike partnership (the Bielsa rational), Conte demonstrated how to attack properly with it specifically utilizing the outside CB's in offensive transitions. The evidence of how unprepared the league was for it is our 16/17 season, no team playing 3-4-3 with Alonso & Moses as WB's has any right to storm the league the way we did without having a tactical advantage.
posted on 19/12/18
That’s fair, though I’d suggest Pochettino understood as well seeing as Spurs were so effective under it the very same season.