From sublime recruitment to bizarre sex advice, Antonio Conte is waking a sleeping giant of Italian football.
For the first time in years, Juventus now face a battle for supremacy in Serie A as Conte's revitalised Inter are making a legitimate push for the title.
With the Nerazzurri now into their 10th season without a Scudetto success, the Italian manager arrived in Milan on a mission to restore the proud club to their former glory. The early signs are certainly encouraging.
Inter's hard-fought 2-1 win over SPAL on December 1, combined with Juve's 2-2 draw against Sassuolo, has seen Conte's side climb to the Serie A summit.
Though only one point separates the top two, and the season isn't even halfway through, Inter finally look ready to go the distance.
Since 2011, the year when they last lifted silverware, the club have gone through 11 managers, with Conte arriving in May to become No.12.
While his Juventus roots had some fans sceptical, the 50-year-old wasted no time in showing the Inter faithful that he meant business as he made a number of shrewd signings in the summer.
From veteran defender Diego Godin to Manchester United duo Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, Conte got a number of impressive deals done before deadline day.
He also put his cards on the table as he boldly declared he would bend for no-one, vowing to manage his way.
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"One last thing about taking over at Inter as a former Bianconero: I think of myself as an honest and loyal person on all points, I believe in work, effort, sacrifice," Conte told L'Equipe in November.
"I do not change my personality, I'm not an ass-licker, I do not play the violin. I try to make myself appreciated for all that, but if you prefer to fan the fire rather than take me as a positive example...
"I got to where I am by myself and I do not have to thank anyone except my parents. I am a free spirit."
That spirit has been exemplified by Inter's frontline as Lautaro Martinez and Lukaku have forged a deadly partnership. Between the duo in all competitions this season, they've had a hand in 29 goals.
Lukaku has already netted 10 times in Serie A, after only scoring 12 goals in the Premier League last season. Lautaro, meanwhile, has struck five times in a tough Champions League group and has already scored more goals in 14 Serie A outings (eight) than he did in all of last season (six).
As well as possessing a sharp attack, Inter have also shown good defensive discipline under Conte, conceding just 13 times across 14 Serie A games, with only Juventus boasting a better defensive record in the league.
While things have gone smoothly in the league, Inter face a fight to escape their Champions League group and likely need to beat Barcelona on December 10 to secure their place in the knockout stages.
Having seen his side let leads slip as they lost to both Borussia Dortmund and the Catalans, Conte's passion saw him take a not-so-subtle swipe at the club's hierarchy in a push for more support.
"Big mistakes were made in planning this season. I am fed up of saying it," Conte told Sky Sport Italia post-match.
"I don’t care about January or February. We should’ve planned this season out much, much better. We proved that we can trouble anyone if we are on form, but there are players who have played non-stop.
"We cannot play in Serie A and the Champions League constantly pushed to the limits. I am really p*ssed off, because we cannot do more than this. We’ve reached the limit.
"I just hope this type of match clarifies things for those who need to understand. The lads are going at 100km/h and I can only thank them for all they are doing during this period. They cannot give more than this.
"I am just fed up of saying the same things over and over. I hope a director comes here and says things instead."
Playing Surface
Despite that supposed poor planning, Conte has still managed to mastermind Inter's long-awaited resurgence in Serie A.
While Juventus look to still be finding their feet under Maurizio Sarri, the Nerazzurri already look a different team under Conte's guidance, with players willing to give everything for their motivated manager.
“Everyone had spoken highly of Conte and I’ve only received confirmation of how great he is," Alessandro Bastoni told the Gazzetta dello Sport. "As far as I am concerned, Conte is the Messi of coaches.
“He is phenomenal, has exceptional footballing ideas and always wants to go on the attack.
“There’s no point denying it, we want to change the way the Serie A seasons have been going recently. We have the coach and the squad to do that, but must prove it one game at a time.”
They are making a fine fist of it at the moment. But Inter's sensational start to the season is just that – a start. Conte knows that toppling the Juventus winning machine that he helped create – leading the Old Lady to the first three of her eight consecutive titles – will be extremely difficult.
Everyone at Appiano Gentile, though, is giving their all. In a recent interview with Gazzetta, one unidentified member of Conte's seven-man coaching staff quipped, "How much do we work? We are walled in here at Appiano!"
Despite the incredible effort, though, even the man who brought Conte to Inter, CEO Beppe Marotta, admitted on Thursday that he didn't expect his former Juventus colleague to make such an "immediate impact" at San Siro.
Conte is clearly not 100 per cent content with the strength in depth of his squad and his lack of diplomacy, particularly when speaking in public, has created controversy. But then, when has it ever been any different with such a combustible character, an unapologetic perfectionist?
Marotta has worked with Conte before. He knows that every now and then he is going to blow off steam.
However, he knows that there are few better coaches in the world at reviving teams, and indeed entire clubs, through meticulous preparation, inspirational coaching and pure force of will.
On the eve of Friday's massive meeting with Roma, Conte also signalled an end to the complaining – at least until the January transfer window opens.
"There are still four games left of this period, we will do it with our chests out, knowing what our strengths and weaknesses are," he declared. "No time to cry and hide. We must do our best."
That is all he has ever asked of his players and his coaching staff. And with Conte driving them on, Inter's best might just prove enough to end their Scudetto drought.