‘I thought it would improve us offensively as well as defensively and we didn’t lose our offensive situation. In this way we have increased it because we scored many goals and created a lot of chances to score the goals and also if you maintain the clean sheet, I think this is the right way.’

When Conte decided to switch to a back-three, he did so not with the 3-5-2 of his Italy side but instead the 3-4-3 he announced in advance in a press conference would be his Chelsea choice. The type of attacking players in the squad determined this.

It is further evidence he is tactically flexible, as is a comparable time earlier in his management career when he took over a Bari side mid-season that were shipping goals before Conte stemmed the tie with a different solution.

‘When I arrived in Bari I remember the position in the table was very bad. We were in the three at the bottom but I always trust in my work and at Bari we played with the 4-2-4. In the first season we achieved good results. The next season we were promoted to Serie A and we still played with the 4-2-4.’

It has pleased Conte a lot that even though he is now working away from the famously tactically sophisticated Italian league, his current players have proved so quickly adaptable.

‘The first time I changed to this system was against Arsenal for the last 25 minutes, and then we continued with this idea of football. For sure in this month we have developed, we have worked a lot on this system, and for sure I have to say thanks to my players because they had the right concentration, the right attitude, the right will to stay more than before in the training sessions and now it is easier than one month ago. But we know we can improve a lot on different aspects - the pressure on the ball, quickly being more compact - for sure we have to improve.

‘I think in England something is changing because there are different coaches from different countries and they are bringing new different ideas and new methods and new philosophies of football, and I think this is very good for the English league.

‘In the pre-season I preferred to work on the concept, on the principles and then you develop the system of play, but I always knew this squad could play with this 3-4-3 system. In my mind there was this possibility.

‘I knew the characteristic of the players and for this reason when I spoke to the club and we planned the season, this system was an alternative to the 4-2-4.’

In Italy Conte earned praise for the way he encouraged the best out of previously less-heralded players such as Stephan Lichtsteiner and Andrea Barzagli at Juventus and for Italy, Emanuele Giaccherini and Eder.

Now at Chelsea he seems on a similar path with Victor Moses and fresh-signing Marcos Alonso. There is more to top management than simply getting the formation right.