What Does Antonio Conte's Anti-Counter-Attack Mean for Chelsea Next Season?

The arrival of Antonio Conte at Chelsea this summer is expected to bring about some significant changes at Stamford Bridge.

On the back a disastrous 2015/16 campaign, there's a sense of Chelsea hitting the reset button to rebuild the club from scratch; the expectation is the summer of 2016 will be just as significant to Chelsea as 2003 was when Roman Abramovich bought the club.

Back then, Chelsea underwent a considerable facelift. Claudio Ranieri spent over £150 million on new players to make Chelsea genuine contenders for the Premier League and Champions League.

The departure of Jose Mourinho as manager in December means Chelsea are moving on from what has made them successful in the past 13 years. John Terry is the sole connection to that old generation, meaning the club has a much different complexion to the one we have known for the past decade or so.

Now Conte's in charge, that is expected to change further, especially after his recent comments regarding his footballing philosophy.

"I do everything except counter-attacks,” Conte explained to journalists at a press conference.

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He continued:

"

When we have the ball, we have our ideas. When we lose the ball, we try to be tight, press the opposition and try to win it back as soon as possible.

Counter-attacks are when you sit back and then propel yourself forward at pace. ... In my idea of football we want to play the game and use the ball.

"

It's the antithesis to what has made Chelsea successful under Abramovich. Excusing the one season spent with Ranieri in that time, the influence of Mourinho has always been strong at Stamford Bridge, with subsequent managers sticking close to his framework.

The Portuguese adapted systems, but his style of play was always about quick transitions to punish opponents the moment they surrendered possession. Mourinho was anti-possession in that sense, preferring his team to be reactive to what was happening in front of them. Conte is talking a different language.

Based on how he is attempting to have Italy play at Euro 2016, the tighter game Chelsea have been known for is looking very much a thing of the past. That cautious style Mourinho and others celebrated seems to be on its way out.

In its place, we should expect Conte's Chelsea to control games with the ball much more. Whereas Mourinho was happy for opponents to play in front of Chelsea, Conte's suggestion is Chelsea will be attempting to reverse those roles. The manager wants his players to impose themselves in a different way.

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It's uncomfortable territory for a club in Chelsea's position. For so long, a certain philosophy has delivered unprecedented success. They won the 2012 Champions League final with a backs-to-the-wall approach, with Bayern Munich dominating territory and possession. It was the same in that year's semi-final against Barcelona.

Now Chelsea seem to be turning their back on that, taking a different direction. When they have tried that in the past, it hasn't worked. Andre Villas-Boas was the biggest casualty; his revolution lasted just eight months before Abramovich had seen enough.

When Villas-Boas was sacked, Roberto Di Matteo stepped into the breach and reverted back to the ways of old in order to rescue Chelsea's season. Recalling Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Terry to the team, he won the Champions League and FA Cup in a very Mourinho-like way.

But change could be a good thing in west London, especially as Conte's style appears to be of the times. There are always sides that will buck the trend—namely Leicester City—yet the teams enjoying sustained success across the continent are predominantly those that suffocate opponents across the pitch with their possession of the ball.

The past decade has seen a shift to create a fascination with possession and control, which has meant Chelsea's philosophy has become a thing of the past. Indeed, if we look at how they collapsed under Mourinho last season, there's an argument to suggest Chelsea risked becoming a footballing relic if they maintained it.

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Chelsea looked one-dimensional and predictable last term. They didn't have the players to play the system Mourinho desired, and it was painful. Under Conte, perhaps they do.

Through being more proactive against opponents, it means the role of Eden Hazard is going to be changing. The theory suggests the Belgian will be doing much more going forward than he does defensively.

That was always a moot point for Mourinho. He demands plenty from his players in a defensive sense, nagging them from the sidelines whenever they are not positioned effectively to turn over possession and counter.

If Chelsea are playing the game and using the ball in the way Conte wants, it should mean more touches for Hazard and a bigger opportunity for him to be the deciding factor in games. It's also a major positive for Cesc Fabregas.

The Spaniard is an expert at moving the ball through midfield, and with Conte pointing to his "concept of football" being about controlling matches, Fabregas' role will be vital. He is not a No. 10, and the hope is he can become a more effective playmaker from his own half if he plays deeper in midfield.

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That's where Fabregas has made his biggest impact in a Chelsea shirt. Diego Costa feeds off his supply of balls beyond defenders, allowing him to break free and get in behind. It's where Chelsea have been most successful in the past couple of seasons, but last season saw them stifled.

Conte is talking like a man who is going to unleash an undoubted attacking talent at Chelsea, giving players such as Hazard the freedom they desire in order to flourish.

A change of system and approach has long been craved at Stamford Bridge. If nothing happens to sway his philosophy in the coming weeks, it seems Conte is the man to finally bring it about.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes.