Antonio Conte’s man-management the biggest factor behind Chelsea’s title success

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Diego Costa was once the Premier League’s hothead. In his first two seasons, the forward was suspended for nine total matches due to retrospective bans handed by the FA for multiple violent incidents, including a stamping incident against Liverpool in 2015.

This season, there was not a single major incident of that nature, despite Costa still being Premier League defenders’ favourite target to provoke.

The young England and Arsenal defender, Rob Holding, had a go at Costa in the FA Cup final after a feisty challenge for the ball, calling him a “f****** psycho”. Costa, like he may have last season under Mourinho’s guise, could’ve gone for an eye gouge or head butt, instead, he went for a menacing but innocuous glare.

It hardly seems an achievement on Costa’s end to claim a season without flagrant violence and cheating as something remarkable, but it does mark an improvement in discipline for the Spaniard and the Chelsea team in general.

Much has been said about Antonio Conte’s revolutionarily style of 3-4-3 play. However, the Italian’s man-management and ability to control the psyche and mentality of his team draws a stark contrast to the vulnerabilities of ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho’s ability to manage the feelings of his players.

Diego Costa’s relatively docile behavior this season is a key example. Conte managed to channel Costa’s aggression into 20 crucial goals in the Premier League, something Mourinho often failed to do. Costa’s largest outburst was his infamous January hissy fit over a move to China.

The contents of the argument were never well-known, however, Conte’s tidy and swift handling of the matter refocussed the Spaniard, who after being dropped for a match came back the next one to score again and silence the critics.

The taming of the beast that is Diego Costa was not Conte’s only successful exploit in man-management and motivation.

Chelsea were an aggressive side this Premier League season. They racked up 72 yellow cards in comparison to last season’s 58. Yet, the aggression was conducive to results and not destructive, as the Blues didn’t receive a single red card all season. Last season they received five.

Conte struck a balance between aggression and discipline, avoiding self-destruction in matches from within his team.

Moreover, Conte got performances from players who seemed doomed to never play in a Chelsea shirt again.

Victor Moses is the obvious example. Previously on the fringes of the squad and living his life on loan at teams up and down the country, Conte saw potential in the Nigerian winger that no other Chelsea manager had seen.

Antonio Conte’s man-management wizardry and incorporation of Moses into the squad saw him grow from a mediocre Premier League player to a highly-effective operator in the Champions of England’s setup.

Moses was an extreme transformation case; a more overlooked one was Pedro’s. Although he was signed by Mourinho, he never fully integrated into the Chelsea side. Once more, Conte gave him new life.

In general, the whole Chelsea side was rejuvenated and given new motivation by Antonio Conte. The Italian manager reminded Hazard he’s quite good at football, Matic that he’s big and menacing, Courtois that he’s meant to be an elite goalkeeper, and so on.

Conte re-worked his new signings too. David Luiz, until this season, was both one of the most talented, yet erratic, defenders in the world. Nonetheless, under Conte, he was impressively consistent throughout the campaign, never setting a foot wrong and putting to shame those who ridiculed Chelsea’s resigning of the fun-loving Brazilian.

In the end, the Blues’ morale was high all season long. Even players like Cesc Fabregas and Willian were kept happy, despite their relegated roles in the team, performing excellently when called upon and polite about frustrations.

The two players, despite links to moves elsewhere, seem intent on staying at Stamford Bridge.

Michy Batshuayi, who was a high-profile signing, took criticism from his manager on the chin and demonstrated enthusiasm and loyalty to the team despite his few chances. His late-season flourish, captured by his title-winning goal at The Hawthorns against West Brom, was the result of Conte keeping his emotions in check and loyalty to the team high.

Above all tactics and in-game decisions, Antonio Conte created a winning mentality in the team. Undoubtedly, this is something Jose Mourinho also did before things turned sour. However, Conte’s aura has the potential to be more long-lasting considering the inclusivity of the culture at Chelsea, where players from the bench up sense their role in the team.