Man United legend: Antonio Conte has this advantage over Jose Mourinho at Chelsea

Rio Ferdinand believes that Antonio Conte has inherited a stronger group of players at Chelsea than Jose Mourinho at Manchester United this season.

Conte has earned plenty of praise in recent weeks following his side’s stunning form in the Premier League.

Indeed, the Blues have won their last eight games in the Premier League to keep them top of the table and looking solid heading into the hectic festive period in the Premier League.

Conte has been tasked with restoring Chelsea to the top of English football after their 10th-placed finish last term following Mourinho’s sacking last December.

Mourinho, meanwhile, is looking to transform Manchester United into one of the Europe’s top teams again following his appointment back in May.

However, former United defender Ferdinand feels that Conte has a significant advantage over his Chelsea counterpart.

Speaking in an interview with ESPN FC, Ferdinand said: “I just think Conte was starting with a better group of players, a team who had more cohesion and players who had the potential to be more of a team. And we are seeing that now.

“The year before [2014-15], they were champions. The last season gone, they didn’t perform well at all.

“The players that made them champions, [Eden] Hazard and [Diego] Costa, didn’t perform. This season they are performing, within a structure, and they’re top of the league.”

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Manchester United finished fifth and without a trophy under Louis van Gaal last season.