Antonio Conte will make or break David Luiz's Chelsea legacy
Antonio Conte has taken a huge gamble on David Luiz
When David Luiz left Chelsea for PSG his legacy at Stamford Bridge seemed completely established. Now that he’s made a shock return to the club, his long-term legacy is squarely in the hands of manager Antonio Conte.
That represents a true boon or bust situation for the talented Brazilian. If he’s able to truly get in line with Conte’s defensive philosophy, he could finally fulfill his potential as an excellent two-way centre back.
In many ways, Conte is just the manager Luiz has always needed. We know that the central defender is among the best in the world at his position going forward. What’s held him back from truly being world-class, is his vulnerability to overdo it. His mental lapses can drive his managers absolutely insane.
Conte isn’t exactly renowned for being the world’s most patient boss. He isn’t going to tolerate any foolishness on the ball from Luiz. If one of his defenders takes silly chances with the ball, they’re going to quickly find themselves setting behind Conte on the Chelsea bench.
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Fortunately for Luiz, Conte purchased him with a full understanding of both his strengths and weaknesses. Even more importantly, Conte has already declared his responsibility to improve Luiz as a player. That bodes well for the defender’s chance at success on his return to the Premier League.
If Luiz returned to Chelsea under a manager with a lesser resume, he might have chosen to tune out their instructions. He doesn’t have that choice with Conte in charge. His resume speaks for itself, and demands attention and respect from all of his players.
Even so, Luiz’s flighty reputation has to be a concern for the passionate Chelsea fan base. He’ll need to really focus in on the mental aspect of football to make his second tenure at the club, better than his first.
At the conclusion of the Premier League campaign, there won’t be any doubt as to whether or not David Luiz’s return has been a success. If he adheres to Conte’s teachings he’ll be one of the top defenders in the Premier League. If he doesn’t, he’s going to find himself spending a lot of time on the Chelsea bench.
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