Antonio Conte’s Complacency Warning a Clear Sign that Chelsea Mean Business

The fact that Chelsea’s chances of winning the 2016/2017 Premier League title were considered extremely slim after the 2015-16 campaign which was nothing short of a disaster on and off the pitch, makes it all the more remarkable that they hit the summit in October and never looked back.
Antonio Conte has managed to re-instill the winning mentality at a club that had completely lost their way. The former Juventus and Italy manager transformed Chelsea into a real force as they remained top of the table for 184 days.
Winning thirty of their thirty-eight games tell you all you need to know about how good Chelsea have been, and although it was not all smooth sailing at the start of the season, Conte’s decision to implement his own philosophies and tactics after back-to-back defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal in September proved to be the turning point.
They hit top gear with a number of clinical and ruthless performances that saw them establish a dominant hold at the summit, with Tottenham’s late surge during the latter stages still not enough to catch Chelsea who are deserved champions. Bookmaker Ratings are likely to make Conte’s men favourites to successfully defend their crown and win back-to-back titles like they did under Jose Mourinho in 2005 and 2006, but although a number of potential challengers will look to break the bank during the summer transfer window in order to prevent Chelsea from dominating the Premier League, the fact that Manchester City (15 points adrift of Chelsea), Liverpool (17), Arsenal (18) and Manchester United (24) finished miles behind the champions illustrates just how much ground they have to make up on a team that will be hungry for even more success next season.
The big question hanging over Chelsea is whether they are able to maintain their high levels of performance and work rate when competing on up to four fronts, with their return to the Champions League likely to create potential fixture congestion and pressure that they will have to handle. Conte certainly has plenty of faith in his strongest line-up to produce the goods when it really matters, but he will be more than aware of the importance of strengthening his squad in terms of quantity and quality this summer. The charismatic Italian has already proven himself to be a shrewd operator in the transfer market, with N’Golo Kante, David Luiz and Marcos Alonso all proving to be superb signings as they played starring role in Chelsea’s title success; it would be no surprise if Roman Abramovich backed his manager with all the money he needs to enhance the club’s chances of not only retaining their Premier League crown, but also make a big impact in the Champions League.
Few could blame Chelsea for celebrating their unexpected title success long into the summer, but such is Conte’s staunch professionalism and desire to win, he has issued a stern warning to his team that should send shivers down the spine of their closest rivals. Not so long ago, Conte told his players not to rest on their laurels and become complacent (The Guardian) ahead of the 2017/2018 season and that is certainly an endorsement of a forward-thinking manager who wants his squad to remain focused on taking Chelsea forward.
More importantly, it points towards a reminder of what happened after lifting the title in 2015; Conte is more than aware of what happened after he was appointed to pick up the pieces and get Chelsea back on track, with his statement that anyone who focuses on the past is not a true winner likely to ring in the ears of his players who should come back with strong determination to succeed at Stamford Bridge. It is this level of hunger and desire to win trophies under Conte that should encourage fans to take up bookies offers listed on Bookmaker Ratings on Chelsea to retain the Premier League title next season, as although their main rivals are likely to strengthen this summer, there is no real indication that any of them are as motivated and self-driven as Conte.
Conte’s statements should be more than enough for their main title rivals to be aware that Chelsea mean business and will not throw away their title in the same manner that they did in 2015, with the onus firmly on them to make the necessary improvements in order to bridge the gap.
Tottenham appear to be the most likely to push Chelsea all the way in 2017/2018, but their chances will ultimately depend on whether they are able to keep hold of prized assets Harry Kane and Dele Alli, along with whether chairman Daniel Levy is willing to loosen the purse strings and provide Mauricio Pochettino with the funds he needs to strengthen in the right areas. The same could be said for Manchester City and Liverpool who still have defensive concerns, while Arsenal and Manchester United arguably lack the strength in depth at the present time to close the gap that appeared this season between themselves and Chelsea.