Sir Alex Ferguson will be fondly remembered by Cristiano Ronaldo as the man who groomed him and designed his every step for the spotlight. Others such as Pep Guardiola would be eternally grateful to Johan Cryuff for honing his football playing skills and planting him right into top football management.
But a manager from Italy has also done great piece of work on some notable players around these days – Antonio Conte.
Conte has developed so many stars and talents in his short managerial career and it will be gratifying for the astute tactician to hear his name mentioned by some as the reason they developed so quickly and perfectly. From his days as manager of Arezzo or Bari, to Atalanta and Siena, one could argue that he was waiting for the perfect time to launch his man management skills and propel individuals to the top without fuss.
At Juventus, he took over a deflated side that needed overhauling, yet his initial arrivals were equally adept to the task at hand, although very inexperienced. This is where we begin to look at Conte’s on hand approach to the game and how he touched specific lives on the pitch.
Here are our five top players Conte has transformed:
#5 Leonardo Bonucci
One of Conte’s masterpieces, the central defender grew into his own and became a household name in Italy after an obscure start to life as a professional footballer. Bonucci was shipped off by Jose Mourinho, then manager at Inter Milan, as part of an exchange deal involving Diego Milito and Thiago Motta. Both would go on to be hits at Guiseppe Meazza but the defender’s move to Bari would see his career turn around at full throttle.
Conte brought in Bonucci to add steel and compliment his backline with breaking play and starting attacks with accurate passes that found the creative midfielders. Alongside Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini, Conte managed to form a formidable threesome, the real force in the Italian domestic campaign and the relentless energy that proved the foundation for their solid squad.
Bonucci was a mainstay in the middle of that three-man defence and went on to win three Serie A titles and two Italiana Supercoppa.
“He’s (Conte) the coach who took me onto the next level, right from the day he arrived at Juve,” Bonucci said. “We had a few disagreements at the very start, also because I wasn’t in good shape, but he taught me a lot on a tactical level. When you see top players perform, you just know there’s a genius behind their genius.”
“If today I am one of the best, part of it is down to the gaffer,” beamed Bonucci when asked about who had the most influence in his career. He made 96 appearances under Conte at Juventus, scoring six goals. Yet it wasn’t his goals that spelt his emergence as a top-class defender, it was how he now became fearsome among his peers and commanded respect and a regular spot at Juve. Tackles, interceptions and clearances characterised Bonucci’s gameplay.
#4 Andrea Barzagli
As a 29-year old defender, Barzagli knew his decision to move to Juventus in 2011’s winter transfer window, must be the right one, if he will go down as one of the best defenders from Italy. Many quality defenders had come and gone in Italy, such as Paulo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta. So Bazargli’s dream would be an almost shallow one, knowing he had little time to amend a career he had hugely messed up.
However, Barzagli under Conte was a revived man. His position on the left side of the three-man defence alongside Bonucci and Chiellini gave him the opportunity to shine and register his name in record books for the Juventus side. This was welcomed by the ever-demanding Conte.
“He (David Luiz) has good technique and personality like Leonardo Bonucci, Bonucci likes to play football. Also, I find him competitive like Barzagli,” said Conte when David Luiz arrived at Chelsea in 2016. That sums up Conte’s admiration of the battling defender. He helped the Italian turn into a well composed and cool-headed leader at the back.
#3 Victor Moses
Not many times has a footballer’s name often translated into his career – the God-chosen Moses spending years in the wilderness while guiding the embattled Israelites out of slavery – Victor Moses has lived that life as a footballer.
Having scored 10 goals in his first season under Roberto Di Matteo, Moses was deemed surplus to requirements and was sent packing on loan deals for the next three seasons to Liverpool, Stoke City and West Ham United. He was never considered a candidate for first team places under Rafa Benitez and Mourinho, however, Conte’s arrival and eventual selection of the 3-4-3 formation has transformed the Nigerian to become the player he is today.
The transition from a winger to the orthodox right wing-back position has been seamless for the Nigerian international and Conte deserves the credits. “I have not played there before,” Moses said, ‘I have just got to listen to what the manager asks me to do in that position, and the way he wants me to do it.”
The miracle of seeing Moses play so wonderfully as a defensive minded player has given the Chelsea faithful more hope that winning the elusive and tricky Premier League is now possible. Who ever thought the former Wigan Athletic forward would be willing to run down the flanks, tracking opposition runs with defensive tackles?
#2 Pedro Rodiguez
Pedro has made a good career for himself, at Barcelona alongside Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto’o and a host of other superstars. The former Barcelona winger was trusted by Pep Guardiola often on the right of attack and he delivered spot on.
His movements and pace came in handy for the ball possession-crazy side when they shifted to a counter-attacking system in rare moments. Fast forward a couple of years after scoring goals in the Champions League final, Pedro was warming Chelsea’s bench at Stamford Bridge with no sign that he could replicate his sterling career in London.
The sacking of Mourinho at Chelsea was his blessing. He came out right off the blocks deep into the early part of the 2016/17 season, after the famous switch to a three-pronged attack in Chelsea’s 3-4-3, and suddenly rediscovered his good old form.
The Spaniard is now playing alongside Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, having taken the spot previously occupied by Willian, and showing Chelsea fans why the £21 million splashed on him was worthy it. His goals, assists and general play has been very encouraging and the very reason, other creative players warm Chelsea’s bench continuously.
#1 Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba made a comeback to Manchester United for a club and world record fee of £89 million and although many questioned the price paid for his services, it was worth noting he had made giant strides and become a world-class player under Conte at Juventus.
Having received the young and frustrated midfielder from Old Trafford, the Italian coach made it a priority to groom Pogba into the player he is today. Spectacular shots, tackles and defence-splitting passes have fallen into Pogba’s bracket of attributes.
Although the apparent talent could be spotted while young at Carrington, he was never the end product until Conte nurtured and gave him the opportunity at Juventus. He quickly became a powerhouse in the midfield that also had Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal.
When fit and in rhythm, Pogba can drag his side into major victories with his supreme technical ability, which was honed under Conte. The current Chelsea manager was reported to have taken him through physical drills and guided every touch of his on the pitch, to help him become a top class midfielder – that influence cannot be understated.
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