With the Premier League set to begin in less than two weeks, Antonio Conte will be keen on putting his squad in order before Chelsea’s competitive campaign begins.
That includes having an intended first team lineup ahead of the fresh season which will, of course, see some players favoured over others depending on the preference of the new boss at Stamford Bridge.
Conte’s aim will be to win the League in his first season in charge at Chelsea.
The club’s hierarchy will probably not settle for anything less than a spot in the top three (top four at most) and on that note, we can expect to see some beautiful football backed up by Conte’s tactical masterclass next season.
The Italian appears to be heading into the new season with an open mind. Conte looks set to make use of a 4-2-4 formation, though this is likely to be a flexible tactical ideology as it’s still relatively unproven in the Premier League.
The formation looked good against Real Madrid in the second half of their International Champions Cup clash, although it had its shortcomings such as the fact that Chelsea were overrun in the middle of the park on a couple of occasions.
While Conte’s tactics haven’t been fully revealed ahead of the new season, here’s what we feel would be Chelsea’s best lineup for the 2016/17 season.
A list of players that could secure them the League title based on the 4-2-4 system:
1Thibaut Courtois
There’s no doubt about the fact that Courtois is a world class Goalkeeper comparable to the likes of Manuel Neuer and Gianluigi Buffon.
The Chelsea shot-stopper endured an injury-filled campaign last season with Asmir Begovic coming in to replace him on numerous occasions. When available, the Belgian was not as convincing as he perhaps should have been however, and needs a strong season this year.
With Conte now at the helm, we can expect to see more clean sheets from Courtois thanks to the defensive stability Conte’s preferred style of play ensures.
