After two games there is evidence that Antonio Conte improves Chelsea.
If you look at the table alone then Chelsea are off to a flyer with maximum points. However, the results hide the late scrambles that preceded these victories that suggest the Italian still has work to do.
To point out that Chelsea only squeaked past West Ham United and Watford is not a complaint. Winning is the most important part of football and we will take victories any way they come.
Chelsea Analysis – Conte Improves Chelsea
These wins show that Chelsea have returned from a shorter pre-season in great shape and with an added drive and desire that may have been lacking last season.
The mentality and fitness of the squad to turn the games around in the last ten minutes that should leave Chelsea fans feeling positive. Last season things would probably have gone differently with a possible return of only one or two points due to the funk we were in.
A lot has been made that Conte improves Chelsea tactically and so far this is borne out by the success of substitutions. New arrival Michy Batshuayi may not have started a game for Chelsea yet but he has a goal and an assist to his name.
Bringing on a striker when chasing may not be an original idea the changes he has made have made an impact. Particularly in the Watford game where we had only had one shot on target before the first sub was made on 71 minutes.
Unfortunately conceding in both games shows that there is still work to do, Conte may have drilled the players well but the leaks are only partially fixed.
On paper we are ok defensively, but last season suggests we are not with support needed for an aging John Terry and a low on confidence Gary Cahill.
There are rumours that Conte is frantically trying to convince the owners to solidify the defence with new signings, but the process is taking time.
In the meantime, the defence looks better but there are still shortcomings that need to be addressed at Cobham or in the transfer market.
On limited evidence, Conte improves Chelsea but we look forward to seeing how he keeps the good start going.
