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Cape Town - Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has heaped praise on Maurizio Sarri, hinting that he prefers his style of football to Antonio Conte's.
Rudiger moved to Stamford Bridge from Roma in 2017, but endured a difficult first season under Conte, whose side finished fifth in the Premier League, failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
Conte paid with his job, but under successor Sarri, who was brought in from Napoli, the Blues have got the 2018/19 league campaign off to a perfect start, with four wins from four games.
"I played for Roma in Italy so I knew the way the manager liked to play and it was something I favoured. He wants us to press high compared to last season when everyone knows we sat back," Rudiger was quoted as saying by the Mail on Sunday.
"Now it is different. We create a lot of chances and for me that's very good. Mostly he likes the defenders to play the ball short and keep possession.
"I have shown so far I can do it but I want to improve every day. He is a coach who is not happy, he is always saying you can do better, and that keeps you alive.
"To be honest, I'm surprised how well we've done because players like Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante had big World Cups and came back late for training. They are in good shape and that's impressive."
The west Londoners will return to action after the international break on Saturday with a home fixture against Cardiff City.
