Antonio Conte demands his players respond to Roma defeat by beating Manchester United

Conte was stung by Tuesday’s second half collapse and has challenged his out of sorts team to suffer the way that he suffers

Chelsea have not hit the same heights as last season (Getty)

Antonio Conte has demanded his Chelsea players prove to him that they are “suffering” after Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat to Roma, and that they turn that pain into motivation when Manchester United come to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Conte was stung by Tuesday’s second half collapse and has challenged his team to suffer the way that he suffers. Conte reminded his players that he always fronts up after defeats – even when they are not his fault – and he would like that support repaid.

This is the hardest period of Conte’s Chelsea tenure so far, after painful defeats to Manchester City and Crystal Palace before the Roma game. Speculation over his future is increasing and owner Roman Abramovich was at training this Sunday, after the Bournemouth game.

Conte insisted, at his Cobham press conference on Friday afternoon, that his relationship with Abramovich is “the same as last season”.

That will become clear in time but the relationship Conte most needs now is the one with his players. They host Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United this Sunday and know that if they lose, they could be 12 points behind Manchester City going into the international break.

After their defeat in Rome that would be the worst possible result, and so Conte has demanded that they feel his pain, and that they use that pain for good this weekend.

“In this moment, you can see if you are winners or losers,” Conte said, the clearest challenge to his squad yet.

“After a defeat it is normal that we are not happy, it must be in this way. Otherwise it means we have a bad mentality. If we are happy after a defeat, it means we are not so clear to understand and to suffer. It's right to suffer. After a defeat like that, you have to suffer, if you have a good mentality.”

There is a masochistic streak in Conte when he talks about the benefits of suffering. Now he wants his players to feel the same way. “I suffer, I don’t like to lose,” he said.

“I need a bit of time to digest this loss. Then I start stronger with more hunger, more desire because I don't like to lose. I don't like the defeats. I try also to transfer my suffering to my players. Sometimes I am able to do this, to have a good answer.”

Conte believes that his players owe him a good answer after recent events. Everyone at Chelsea knows that if results continue to go south, Conte will pay for it, not the players. But given how Conte fronts up, he expects his players to put themselves out for him too.

“If you remember after the first game against Roma, it was my fault,” Conte said.

“That wasn't the first time, either. A lot of times I've put my face in front. But I'm ready to do this, if the players put always great commitment. I am a coach who doesn't like to find excuses or alibis. Sometimes I prefer to put all the mistakes in my face. Also if the mistake is not mine, I prefer to put my face in front.”

The Italian has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks (AFP)

Management can be a lonely job, especially given that Conte’s Chelsea tenure is now only likely to end one way. It does not help that, as Conte revealed at his press conference, his best friend amongst the other Premier League managers was sacked last season, leaving him without a close ally amongst his 19 counterparts.

“Honestly, I think not now, no,” he said, when asked if he had any friends amongst managers.

“Before, I had a really good relationship with Claudio Ranieri. After the Fifa The Best awards, we went for a dinner with our wives. But I think it's very difficult to speak about 'friendship' with other coaches because then they become an opponent. You can have respect, respect for the job and the work, but to speak about friendship is very difficult.”