Chelsea Boss Antonio Conte's Key Decisions Ahead of 2016/17 Season
Now that pre-season is officially over, Antonio Conte is counting down the days to his first competitive match as Chelsea boss.
It comes on Monday, rounding off the Premier League's opening weekend with a home clash with West Ham United. A London derby under the lights against bitter rivals—that alone is enough to whet the appetite.
What has got Chelsea supporters excited, however, are the changes Conte has brought in this summer. He's switched formations and is utilising players in different areas. The team's dynamic is looking more appealing, and the Blues seem to have built some momentum again.
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Conte's work is far from done, though. He still has some big decisions to make that will impact Chelsea's campaign. So as kick-off for 2016/17 fast approaches, we take a closer look.
Will Chelsea play with two strikers?
From the moment Conte was confirmed as Blues boss, it's been expected that Diego Costa would be playing with a strike partner this season. The idea has been influenced by Conte using two strikers wherever he has coached.
Indeed, Conte's so-called fascination has become ours. The topic of two front men has dominated conversations in the media and among supporters.
So what will it be? Right now, we're not sure, as Conte is keeping us guessing. He started pre-season with Ruben Loftus-Cheek as a makeshift striker alongside Costa, but now with his squad back together after Euro 2016, Conte's changed things up.
Against Werder Bremen—the game that ended Chelsea's pre-season with a 4-2 victory—Costa played his usual role as the lone front man. It worked well, too, with the Spain international scoring his first goal under Conte. It was also the Blues' highest-scoring performance of the summer.
When Costa was replaced by Michy Batshuayi in that game, the young Belgian also looked strong by himself. Had it not been for some poor finishing in front of goal from the 22-year-old attacker, the scoreline would have been much more convincing.
The important thing for Conte here is that he has options. He can choose Costa by himself or partner him with Batshuayi. Until Chelsea sign another out-and-out striker, though, we may see just one man up top.
Does Oscar stay or go?
It isn't just Conte who has been asking himself this question from the Chelsea dugout. Former Blues boss Jose Mourinho has pondered the question, and given his struggles for all of last season, the case for Oscar playing or not was also debated by last season's interim manager Guus Hiddink.
For the latter, he fell on the side of not picking Oscar frequently, and it meant we were expecting his time to be up at Stamford Bridge.
After such an impressive debut for Chelsea, when he scored twice against Juventus in the Champions League—note that Conte was Juve manager that night—Oscar has flattered to deceive. In a hot streak one moment, he can disappear for weeks and even months.
Now we're not sure what to expect, despite Oscar scoring three goals in his last two pre-season matches. Is it the Conte effect that is beginning to get the best out of him? Or is Oscar just up to his old tricks?
Conte needs to answer that question soon, as Oscar can command a healthy transfer fee to be reinvested into this squad. If he's going to remain at Stamford Bridge, we need to see the Oscar of the past couple of weeks. If it's Oscar from much of last season, he's going to frustrate and take the position of a player who can potentially offer more.
Oscar has been a passenger much too often at Chelsea; Conte can't afford for him to be a passenger this season.
Where does Cesc Fabregas fit in?
Such is the talent that Fabregas possesses, Conte needs to find a way for him to function at Chelsea. He just has to, as the rewards are so significant.
Mourinho had a solution in his debut campaign at Chelsea, and Fabregas' form won the Blues the title in 2014/15. He was ruthless playing in a deeper role, feeding the attackers who were equally clinical in front of goal.
The style in which Chelsea breezed to the title that season was about Fabregas, and Conte needs to repeat that. When teams worked it out and capitalised, Mourinho didn't have the answer.
In the 4-2-4 that Conte started pre-season with, Fabregas seems a natural fit alongside N'Golo Kante as the midfield two. With Kante's work rate and defensive acumen, Fabregas would complement his team-mate by providing the ability to get the ball forward quickly and efficiently. There would be a balance.
If Chelsea play the 4-1-4-1 from Werder Bremen, there's an argument to suggest Fabregas doesn't have the energy for it to work. That'll mean him playing further forward and getting back to support the lone defensive midfielder when possession is lost.
It's interesting that Conte opted for Oscar in that role against Bremen, too. It was only late on that Fabregas was introduced to the game.
Was that a sign of things to come? Or an exercise in fitness?
Is John Terry Conte's first-choice regardless of being Chelsea captain?
Of all the decisions Conte has to make at Chelsea, what he does with the defence is the biggest of them all. The Blues are coming off the back of recording their worst defensive record in 20 years, keeping just 13 clean sheets in all competitions throughout 2015/16.
They could've done with some reinforcements to strengthen their options, but Conte starts the season with just four recognised first-team defenders at his disposal. Kurt Zouma is still to reach full fitness, which means Terry, Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta are all certain starters.
It looks strong enough on paper, but the concern is when injuries and suspensions come into play. Are Chelsea expecting to last the campaign with so few options at the back?
A big decision is what type of defender Chelsea will bring in, if at all. Should Conte pay a big transfer fee, will that player be Terry's long-term replacement? Does the manager see Terry as playing the whole season? Will the 35-year-old's potential replacement take his place immediately?
When he was officially unveiled as Chelsea boss in early July, Conte made a point of declaring his admiration for Terry. He said he was Chelsea captain, playing or not.
At the moment, Terry is going to be playing because there isn't another option outside of him. Now Conte must decide if that means he's first-choice, regardless of his age.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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