Chelsea vs West Ham: Antonio Conte tells Diego Costa he still needs to improve

Conte will start his Chelsea reign on Monday night with Diego Costa up front, and has told him that he needs to be a "point of reference" for his team-mates on the pitch

Diego Costa is subject to an offer from Atletico Madrid (Getty)

Antonio Conte has told Diego Costa that he still has plenty of room for improvement, as Chelsea prepare to start their season with him up front.

Chelsea have spent all summer trying to buy Alvaro Morata and Romelu Lukaku but have not managed to conclude deals for either. Costa had hoped to return to Atletico Madrid this summer, but could not with no replacement coming in. This means that Costa will lead the line for Chelsea against West Ham United this evening.

Conte is determined to make the most of this situation, and has been pushing Costa especially hard in pre-season to get him up to peak fitness. But Conte knows that Costa still has a long way to go, and told the Brazilian striker that he must work hard in training and, just as importantly, on the pitch for the team.

“Diego Costa is a great player and I know that he is a fantastic finisher,” said Conte in his press conference at Cobham on Friday afternoon. “I think that Diego can improve still a lot. Now he is a fantastic player, but he can improve a lot. I hope for this.”

Conte is a coach with a very clear sense of what he wants from his players, especially in terms of physical fitness. That is why he has changed the Chelsea players’ diet, as well as working them so hard in training. While he would not set Costa a target in terms of goals for this season, Conte demanded that all of his players give everything for his cause.

“I ask all the players for the right attitude, right behaviour and commitment,” Conte said. “I am sure about this. It’s important that the players, when we play, that we play our football. Not this football.”

What Conte means specifically is that Costa must work hard for the good of the team, leading the line and wanting the ball, rather than just lurking in wide areas.

“Diego is a forward,” said Conte, laying out his demands. “He knows that in my idea of football, the forward must always be a point of reference for the team. I don’t like the forward to move around the pitch. I like him to stay there. Because you are a forward, and your commitment is to score the goals, to stay in the right position. You are a forward, not a midfielder, not a defender.”

Conte clearly wants a lot from Costa, more than he has seen in pre-season, but said that as long as Costa works hard then they can still have a successful future together.

“I’m happy that Diego stayed here to work with us,” Conte insisted. “We know we can improve through the work, and the player has been fantastic for me. I hope to continue in this way.”

If there is one thing that brings Conte and Costa together it is their shared passion for the game, for competing and winning, and Conte pointed to that common ground. “I like the spirit of Diego,” he said. “He always shows a great passion. I am the same. I think he doesn’t want to lose. I like this passion. I want this passion in the team.”

Costa’s two years at Chelsea have been remarkably mixed, varying from the best number nine in the country at the start of the 2014-15 season, to a slow blunt distraction as Jose Mourinho’s reign collapsed. Conte does not worry about that, though, as long as Costa works hard to get better.

“I try to improve all my players,” Conte said. “The past is not important for me. Now I’m seeing a good attitude from Diego to work and to improve in different situations. I think Diego can give a lot to this team. I’m sure he will have a good season.”