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Conte hopes to banish sleepless nights with win
LONDON: Antonio Conte hopes his first taste of the Premier League doesn’t end in another sleepless night as Chelsea’s new manager starts a new era at Stamford Bridge
LONDON: Antonio Conte hopes his first taste of the Premier League doesn’t end in another sleepless night as Chelsea’s new manager starts a new era at Stamford Bridge on Monday.
Conte is eagerly awaiting his introduction to the English game after spells as Juventus and Italy coach, but the renowned perfectionist knows he is in for a long night of soul searching if the Blues come unstuck against London rivals West Ham United.
Revealing he rarely sleeps more than a few hours before a match as he finds himself mulling over tactical decisions, Conte says the frustration of defeat lingers so long that he will hardly sleep following a loss.
“Usually I don’t sleep a lot before the games, two, three, four hours, then when I wake up I start to think about the game. By the morning I have the tactical ideas,” Conte said.
“After the game when I win I sleep easily, when I don’t win it’s very difficult for me to sleep.
“At night I think why we lost, sometimes I watched the game again, because I want to find a reply.
“Where is the situation that is difficult, who are the players who were difficult, was our tactical plan good or not good.”
BILIC’S HOPES ON AYEW
Meanwhile, West Ham manager Slaven Bilic hopes the game-changing ability of Andre Ayew, his club’s £20 million ($25.8m) record signing, will add more dynamism to his side’s attack.
“He adds more quality. He came to England and did a really good job,” Bilic said.
“He scored 12 goals and played in different positions. He can be a game changer.”
