Chelsea boss Antonio Conte still searching for 'ideal system' - Ruud Gullit

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Match of the Day

Ruud will join Gary Lineker and Martin Keown on Match of the Day at 22:30 BST on Saturday, with highlights of eight games, including Arsenal v Chelsea and Manchester United v Leicester.

Seeing Liverpool dominate Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Blues' last Premier League game was very difficult for me to swallow.

Antonio Conte's side were very passive defensively as they lost 2-1 at home and I think they were left exposed a little bit. That has to change.

But, although I am very curious about how Conte will approach Saturday's game against Arsenal, I am not worried.

Up until now I think he has been playing the 'Chelsea way', rather than his own, since taking charge over the summer.

Image source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Antonio Conte has won five, drawn one and lost one of his seven games in charge of Chelsea

For me, Conte is still searching for a system he can rely on - what he sees as his ideal way of playing in the Premier League, and the best team he can pick to execute it.

He will need time to find out what he wants to do, and also whether it works.

It means there are a lot of questions about Chelsea right now - but we will soon get some answers.

I am analysing this weekend's game against the Gunners for Match of the Day, and I am looking forward to seeing what Conte tries next, and how he gets on.

'A system on its own is not the key to success'

Media caption,

Who is new Chelsea manager Antonio Conte?

When Conte took charge of Italy, he adapted the national side to the 3-5-2 formation he favours, which he used predominantly as Juventus manager.

But a system on its own is not the key to success. Conte himself has said it is important to find out what works best for a specific team, and that is exactly what he is doing now.

So far at Chelsea, he has always set up with four at the back and used a shape close to either the 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 that the Blues played under Jose Mourinho in his two spells as Blues boss.

Playing the way Chelsea have played for a long time has its advantages - it suits N'Golo Kante in the centre of midfield, Eden Hazard is back to playing well on the left too, and up front Diego Costa is getting plenty of chances, even if I think he is too isolated at times.

Image source, BBC Sport

Conte will not be happy with the number of errors his side have made at the back, however. That is something he might try to change this weekend by reverting to what he knows works for him.

At the start of the season I don't think he had the players to play a three-man defence, but signing David Luiz gave him that option, and he can do it now that John Terry is fit again.

Will it work for Chelsea? I don't know, but - until now - Conte has not even had the opportunity to try it.

'Fabregas showed against Leicester what he can do'

Image source, BBC Sport

Conte has another decision to make in midfield. Will Cesc Fabregas play against his old club Arsenal after scoring twice in the EFL Cup in midweek?

The Spaniard has not started a Premier League game this season but he showed against Leicester what he can do.

The fact he did well in that game does not mean he will play on Saturday but whether he is picked or not will tell us more about how big a part he plays in Conte's plans.

Image source, BBC Sport

Fabregas is very creative of course, but he is not known for chasing back or tackling, which might be why he has spent most of this season on the bench.

But, with Kante in the team, Chelsea have a player who does that side of the game really well, so I can understand why many Chelsea fans want to see Fabregas start against the Gunners and increase their attacking threat.

I would like to see Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the Chelsea team too - he has not played at all in the Premier League so far this season, and I don't know why.

But of course I do not watch him or Fabregas in training and without seeing either player every day it is difficult to demand that he has to play - that is for Conte to decide.

'Judge Conte after six months, not six weeks'

Media caption,

We must be focused - Antonio Conte

Saturday's trip to Emirates Stadium is going to be tough because Arsenal look stronger than they did last season, right the way through their team.

Chelsea have some other big games coming up too, against defending champions Leicester and then Manchester United.

Chelsea's next five Premier League games

Arsenal

Away

24 September

Hull

Away

1 October

Leicester City

Home

15 October

Manchester United

Home

23 October

Southampton

Away

30 October

How the Blues get on will tell us more about their current strengths and weaknesses but we should not judge Conte as a Premier League manager on those results.

He has only just arrived in this country and has just started his job - he should be given six months to settle in. Sadly, that does not seem to happen anymore.

I was the first Chelsea manager that Arsene Wenger came up against as Arsenal boss 20 years ago - Conte will be the 12th. Things are very different now to when Arsene first came to England.

Because of the amount of money involved, people demand instant results and nobody gets a honeymoon period in a new job. It is the same for everyone - look at the criticism that Mourinho is already getting at United.

I fear that Conte will get similar treatment if Chelsea have a bad spell over the next few weeks, even though he is still adapting and working out how he wants to play.

Image source, BBC Sport/Getty Images

Ruud Gullit was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

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