N'Golo Kante's Chelsea Arrival Is Perfect Timing for Antonio Conte After Defeat

Matej Divizna/Getty Images

Chelsea couldn't have timed the signing of N'Golo Kante from Leicester City any better.

It was shortly ahead of new manager Antonio Conte's first game in charge against Rapid Vienna when news broke of Kante's deal being finalised. Sat in the press room of Rapid's impressive new Allianz Stadion, the chat among journalists quickly became about how he would fit in under Conte.

Which player would he replace? How would Conte's new system see the French midfielder utilised? Would he make them a more solid defensive unit?

In the space of 90 minutes, we got an idea to the answers of those questions. Kante wasn't lining up against Rapid for the grand opening of their new home, but in his absence, it was clear why Conte has dipped into the market to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC)July 16, 2016

The same problems from last season were there for the Blues. Granted, this was a pre-season friendly against a side who start their campaign proper next weekend. Rapid are already well into their own pre-season schedule having played five games since mid-June; Chelsea have been back less than a week.

The Blues were undercooked, and it showed. The difference in quality was vast—flashes of skill from Diego Costa, Willian and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were a reminder of that—but their opponents had more zip and looked much the sharper side.

We shouldn't let that excuse where Chelsea have long struggled, though. In the heart of midfield, Nemanja Matic and John Obi Mikel were the collective Achilles' heel. For the latter, he likes to play in bullet speed, and that doesn't help transitions that have long been laborious when Mikel is in possession.

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

As for Matic, he wasn't quite there with his positioning, and it allowed the Rapid attackers to work through the Blues' midfield too often. For him to be of value to Conte, he needs to be the Matic of 2014/15 and not the past 12 months.

The problems against Rapid aren't just pre-season problems; they're the sort of problems that meant Chelsea barely scraping into the top 10 last season. So bringing Kante in now, on the day pre-season got serious, is ideal timing for Conte. It means he can plan ahead knowing how that precious midfield area is going to be covered.

Indeed, Kante will be the anchorman of Chelsea's midfield. We didn't just see the Blues struggle in that area on Saturday evening in Vienna; we saw the manager change things around, like we expected him to. Gone was the old 4-2-3-1 formation, with something new to get opponents thinking.

It wasn't a 3-5-2 that Conte deployed in the Allianz Stadion, but a 4-2-4 instead. Matic and Mikel were the men tasked with pinning the central area down, while Willian and Victor Moses were the wide men in that front four. Costa and Loftus-Cheek were the central attacking figures.

For Loftus-Cheek and the unwarranted criticism that followed his performance, it was frustrating. From being a No. 10 last season, he was being asked to play, in effect, as a striker alongside Costa. Is it any wonder he hasn't progressed as rapidly as we thought he might?

Loftus-Cheek needs to be played in the position he has been groomed for. That's in central midfield, where his marauding runs and physique can be massive assets for Chelsea. Loftus-Cheek isn't a No. 10, and he isn't a makeshift frontman, either.

Conte's deploying him there was more a case of Chelsea's squad not being complete more than it was an experiment to see if he's capable. Loic Remy and Bertrand Traore were both on the bench and later came on as substitutes, but it's only when Michy Batshuayi joins up with Chelsea—conveniently at the end of the weekend—that we'll see a proper strike partnership forming.

There's even scope for Eden Hazard to be deployed in that area, right through the middle. Willian's game is ideal for Chelsea on the right, and with a new left-winger capable of dropping into defence—Chelsea switched to a 4-4-1-1 whenever they surrendered possession—it begins to get exciting on paper.

That left-winger could be Kenedy or even Willian switching sides after Conte explained that Juan Cuadrado was definitely part of his plans for 2016/17. Pedro is still on holiday after Euro 2016, so adding him into the mix suddenly gives Chelsea plenty of options in those wide areas, even if they don't dip back into the market.

The endeavour of Moses is another thing to consider, especially as Conte has history in utilising unfancied players and making them appear world beaters. Take Emanuele Giaccherini at Euro 2016—a player who has struggled for Sunderland yet was a big threat for Italy.

It's all about centrally, though, which is why Kante's capture is so vital. That's where Chelsea were losing games last term, and it's where they lost this one, 2-0.

The result wasn't the important thing. It was what Conte was attempting to do in the early days of his tenure. And with new faces being added, a loss shouldn't detract that Chelsea are finally moving in the right direction having stagnated.

"I want to say Kante was a target and for this reason I am very very happy the club buy this player," the manager said in his post-match press conference. "[Kante is] a good player, with good technique, fantastic stamina and I like this type of player. I think when you want to win you need this player, Kante, Matic, work hard for the team.

"I am very happy because together the club we are working to improve the squad. We know we have to improve but we prefer to wait than to go for a player that doesn’t adapt to our idea of football."

Conte also explained that Chelsea will stick with two central players, of which Kante will be one.

"[He will be] very important for us if we want to play with two central midfielders. He showed in last season he is able to play with another midfielder," the boss added.

For Chelsea to be effective in this new system, it means Cesc Fabregas should slot in right alongside the Frenchman. Fabregas is the lynchpin of Chelsea's attacking play, and he will be vital to get the Blues moving forward.

It's one thing having Kante to shield the back line and offer that stability, but Chelsea need to find a way to get their talented attackers into the game. It requires a man with vision and no shortage of creativity to execute passes effectively.

Conte need look no further than Fabregas from his current crop, while Loftus-Cheek must surely also be considered. The youngster isn't on the same level as Fabregas in terms of his vision, but his box-to-box qualities will complement Kante and Chelsea's forward movement.

In fact, with that pairing, there's an air of Claude Makelele-Frank Lampard about it. Whereas Makelele won the ball, it was Lampard always moving it forward and with his athleticism. Loftus-Cheek has everything to bring more energy to that area.

The important thing for now is Kante is a Chelsea player. Regardless of the loss to Rapid Vienna, that's all Conte should be concerned with. Now his plans are beginning to take shape.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.