Every few years, a new manager steps into a particular club and captivates players, supporters, and even media personnel.
That can't be said for every new boss, especially in the Premier League. David Moyes wasn't accepted with open arms at Manchester United, and Louis van Gaal wasn't either. You can imagine how distasteful it was when Rafa Benitez set foot at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea manager, or even at Real Madrid.
Some managers take time to build a following, while others get everyone on their side even while their appointment is nothing more than a rumour in the papers.
That has certainly been the case for Jose Mourinho, and not just at Chelsea, but everywhere he's worked since Porto. The self-proclaimed "Special One" first docked on England's shores in 2004, and made one of the biggest-ever first impressions in top flight history.
He turned Chelsea into world beaters, and had the English press drooling over his every word, but mainly because they were as controversial as much as they were witty.
His passion and love of the game made him excel as a manager, and his celebrations were sometime over the top. But there was nothing Blues fans loved more than a passionate manager who lost control every now and then.
His first stintwith the Blues came to a sad end in 2007, but you always felt that he was sure to return someday, and when it finally happened in 2013, it took Chelsea fans a while before they could actually believe it.
Within two seasons, the Portuguese had Chelsea back on top of the league, adding to the two Premier League titles he'd won in his first spell, and throwing in a Capital One Cup as well. Things took an absurd turn the following season, but as bad as things were, you would have struggled to find a large number of fans who had withdrawn their support for Mourinho.
His firing left a sour taste in the mouth, and things seemed quite bleak, even under fan favourite Guus Hiddink.
Well, Roman Abramovich knew he had to bring in a very special manager if he was to get the fans back on his side, and the Russian oligarch did just that, signing then Italy manager Antonio Conte.
Antonio Conte. Cool like that. Smart man. Loves a good suit. Very good at what he does. Loud with actions not words. I like a man like that
It couldn't have happened at a better time. The Euros were just around the corner, and the Italian, who had won three consecutive Serie A titles with Juventus, was almost immediatelyplaced under the microscope, giving Chelsea fans an opportunity to judge him even before his first match in charge.
Conte passed his test with flying colours. He wasn't able to get past that penalty shootout against Germany. But Italy's performance, which included a masterful showing against Spain, inspired confidence from all around.
By the time Conte strode into Stamford Bridge, the supporters knew that they had an astute tactician, a passionate fighter, and an inspirational leader at their club.
The secret to Antonio Conte's sweet success? Boss imports throat lozenges from Italy after yelling himself hoarse https://t.co/ZKMUzi2nIi pic.twitter.com/1oqduN8hlG
He did things in the best manner possible. Conte, known for his preference for a three-man defence, did not just change things right away. He stuck to the previous formation, and when he saw that it wasn't working, he made swift changes.
Those changes have seen Chelsea claim four successive wins on the bounce, but what's more impressive is the fact that the Blues haven't conceded a single goal in that period.
Diego Costa and Eden Hazard completely lost their spark last season, but are back among the goals this season, with Costa leading the league in scoring with eight goalsand Hazard not too far off with five of his own.
Conte should certainly be credited with the change in form, yet they were already world-class players who just needed a bit of motivation and probably a better system. What's overlyimpressive, however, is the way Victor Moses has been playing.
The Nigerian has been deployed as a right wing-back under Conte, and is impressing just abouteveryone. It was always going to be a difficult adaptation, considering Moses was not good enough for Chelsea and loaned out under Mourinho for the past three seasons.
But he's proven vital this season, and has surprised the masses, including Conte with his defensive ability. What's more, even David Luiz is looking like a world-class defender in a three-man back-line, having made a return from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
Conte's switch to 3-4-3 certainly looks a stroke of genius. The four wins, four clean sheets, 12 points and 11 goals yielded by the new system certainly can't be coincidental. The defensive solidity is just remarkable, and the width provided by the wing-backs - also inclusive of new man Marcos Alonso - has made the team'sattack even more dangerous.
Chelsea are now back in the top four, just one point behind Manchester City, Arsenal andLiverpool. They are definitely in the title race, in spite of Conte's hesitance to admit such.
We all knew how good of a coach Conte was, but apart from that, he's really a likeable guy. There's the touchline passion which has Chelsea fans raving and Mourinho upset, but there's also the charming personality and warmth in the press room.
The Italian seems quite soft spoken, totally different from the way he looks in his technical area, and is always wearing a smile.
He's also refreshingly honest. Which other manager would admit that he didn't know who his stellar signing was before he signed him, or confess that he had a near-change of heart after signing his managerial contract with Chelsea?
Conte has everyone involved with Chelsea on his side, and has made that happen in short order. He's even allowed to hug Diego Costa for crying out loud.
There's no question that the Italian has transcended the Mourinho fixation at Stamford Bridge to become the new "Special One" and Abramovich would do well to keep him around for as long as he can.