TWO current Chelsea players have stuck the knife into former manager Jose Mourinho ahead of Saturday’s Manchester derby by questioning his abilities as a manager.
And defender Gary Cahill said Chelsea are more organised under Conte because they “needed a game-plan” and had “lost our way tactically” under Mourinho.
Just days before one of Mourinho’s toughest tests of his career as he takes on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and manager of rivals United, it is a timely kick in the ribs for the former Chelsea boss, who was sacked just before Christmas after his relationship with key players disintegrated.
He openly criticised Hazard on several occasions despite the fact the Belgian playmaker was struggling with injuries, with the manager suggesting he needed to “sacrifice” himself more for the team.
In Mourinho’s last match in charge, a 2-1 defeat at Leicester, Hazard walked off the pitch indicating he was injured and Mourinho pointedly said the player had taken the decision himself.
Since the arrival of Conte, however, Hazard has rediscovered his sparkle, scoring two goals in three league games.
"Conte puts trust in his players. Now we are good after an ugly season last year,” he said.
"I’ve always been the same player. But Conte knows how to treat players having played at the highest level himself.”
It could hardly have been a more pointed remark; Conte played for Juventus and Italy while Mourinho made only a few appearances for Portuguese sides Rio Ave, Belenenses and Sesimbra before switching to coaching in his mid-twenties.
Defender Gary Cahill has also emphasised the difference this season from last by insisting Chelsea are more organised under Conte than even under the arch-planner Mourinho.
Jose Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea in December
"We needed organisation,” he said. “We went from winning the league to the disaster of last season. We lost our way tactically, everyone’s head was in different directions.
Jose Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea in December
"Everyone had different situations going on, whether you’re playing or not, the manager, or this or that. Different distractions are never healthy.
"It is the hardest thing when everyone is not on the same wavelength. People talk as if you wake up one day and suddenly you’re a bog standard player. It doesn’t happen.
"The main thing for me is how fit and sharp we look, and the organisation in terms of where players need to be. We needed to have a game- plan, the tactics and way we want to play drilled into everyone and everybody buy into it. That’s what we have seen.
"We have worked very hard and we are buying into what is happening here. That’s the most important thing – to move forward.”
Meanwhile, Conte has insisted he will be playing new £34million signing David Luiz at centre-back rather than defensive midfield this season.
"David is a centre-back, he’s played a lot of games in that position,” said Conte.
"I know sometimes he’s played as a central midfielder but in my mind the idea is to utilise him in the right position which, for me, is centre-back.”
Luiz’s arrival, together with that of new full-back Marcos Alonso, would allow Conte to switch to the three-at-the-back system he favoured with Italy.
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