Gianfranco Zola: Chelsea can cash in thanks to their ‘holiday’ from European football
Stamford Bridge legend backs manager Antonio Conte to use his extra training time to reshape his team
GIANFRANCO Zola says Chelsea have to make the most of their ‘holiday’ from European football, and expects Antonio Conte’s changes to really kick in against Leicester and Manchester United.
The former Stamford Bridge legend says defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal after Conte started with a five match winning streak shows there is still plenty of work to do.
But he clearly feels Conte will get it right, and he expects his former club to be challenging for honours at the end of the season.
He said: “I am sure they will see this as an opportunity to make a statement.
“Conte would prefer it if these two fixtures did not come straight after the international break, when so many of his players were away. But Chelsea will still be strong.
“They started the season very well and then had a setback, but they are picking up again. Sometimes, losing can help you improve.
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“It will be important for Chelsea how quickly they can adapt to the new system Conte has introduced. I know he is a very hard-working coach, and I am sure they will be doing everything to make this work.
“Chelsea had a bad patch, but they were very good in their last game at Hull. And ffor them it’s certainly an advantage not to be playing Champions League.
“Chelsea and Liverpool are the two teams in the top bracket who do not have European competition, which is a good bonus.
“But teams like Manchester City and Arsenal have so many quality players they can rotate and still be competitive indifferent competitions. So Chelsea and Liverpool will have to keep up a very high standard to make the advantage tell.”
Zola was speaking not far from his old stamping ground, after taking part in the British Masters Pro-Am at the Grove, near Watford, with former team-mates Andriy Shevchenko and Carlo Cudicini.
He is relishing the prospect of two of his Italian countrymen – Conte and former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri – locking horns on Saturday.
He added: “I think it is a great moment for Ranieri to go back to Stamford Bridge, and I am sure people will be cheering him for what he has achieved. His team has done fantastically well.
“Obviously, in the Premier League they are having it a bit more difficult, but they have started the Champions league in a great way, which is very important.
“It is going in the right direction again, and I am sure it will be another great season for them. I think it is going to be a good game, between two teams who are very competitive, and who are coming into good form.”
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