Diego Costa is not the most disciplined of players and often gets into arguments and conflicts with opposition players and the referee. Both Mourinho and Guus Hiddink found it difficult to try and eradicate that flaw in the player.
Antonio Conte will be the latest to try and improve his on-field character. The Spaniard is a regular goalscorer and composure is the only thing he lacks. HE is very important to Chelsea and is why he gets picked week in week out.
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Speaking ahead of the game against Swansea, Conte spoke about the player, his ability and what he told him about his disciplinary record. “Diego is a passionate man,' Conte said. 'For this reason, sometimes, he risks the yellow card. But I want him to improve in this aspect. I want to have Diego Costa in all the games.”
Despite how good Costa is, he is a liability on the pitch. Last season, he had neither form nor refereeing decisions going his way.This season he has made a bright start this season scoring twice already.
He did not manage a goal in his last game but he is always a threat. Conte believes Costa can improve on his behavior and it is matter of directing his energy in the right way.
"But Diego knows the situation. With passion, the right passion and the right aggression. He must transfer his emotions on to the pitch in the right way. Always. I think that Diego is a good guy. He's a player who is very important for the team. I tell him: 'Transfer your passion and enthusiasm in the right way, and it's good for me'"
Costa scored twice for Spain during the international break but was once again caught in controversy when he hit back at Spanish media for criticism over his form. Costa will have to learn to control his emotions on the pitch if Chelsea are to have a successful season.
Conte had the same advice for Costa on his recent outburst. “Diego must think about playing football on the pitch. To play with Chelsea, to play with the national team in Spain. It's important to be focused on the pitch. To leave the other situations.”
“Those other situations are not interesting for him, for me, for Chelsea, for the fans and for the national team. It's normal, though, that if you are a forward and you score, you've had a fantastic performance. If you play well but don't score, people say the performance is not good. But Diego is a player who, every game, puts all of himself into the game. I like this a lot.”
Costa is set to start today’s game against Swansea as Chelsea look to maintain their perfect record.
