Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has explained what he’s seen from his visits to his old club that has made Antonio Conte such a big success in his first season at Stamford Bridge.
The former England international remains a fan favourite with Blues supporters, having spent the bulk of his career on their books and establishing himself as one of their finest-ever players.
Still a regular visitor to Cobham, the club’s training centre, Lampard has explained the incredible difference in mood at Chelsea after Conte’s arrival, following a dismal spell under both Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink last term.
‘I’ve seen what he does. He runs them. They all look fit, lean and know their jobs,’ Lampard told the Daily Mail.
‘They are flying. I watched them against Hull. They were a bit off the pace but win 2-0.
‘They were in a bad place last year. I went back and got treatment for a week last season when I was injured. The dressing room felt terrible.
‘Guus Hiddink was there, they were 12th in the league. People were injured, they weren’t playing well and you could smell it wasn’t right. They needed to change the whole mentality.
‘Conte has done that without changing too much in terms of players. He made a few additions and (N’Golo) Kante has been fantastic, but Conte was exactly what they needed.’
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