Conte ponders difficult season after Chelsea capitulation

ROME: Antonio Conte’s return to Italian football on Tuesday proved such a chastening experience as he watched his Chelsea side dismantled by AS Roma in the Champions League that he worries they could be set for a “very difficult” season.

A downbeat Conte said he and his players all had to take responsibility for the 3-0 capitulation in Group C, which equalled the biggest he has suffered in his Chelsea reign, and needed to rediscover their hunger for battle quickly.

“Roma showed more will to fight and more desire to win the game. For this performance, we all have to take responsibility.“When you concede three goals, you must be worried. It means something doesn’t work.”

Talking to Sky Sports, he added: “This season will be very difficult if we don’t understand quickly the right way that we have to go.“Last season we showed great hunger, great will to do something of importance. If we think that only because our name is Chelsea and the opponent has fear (of) the name Chelsea, I think this is not the right way.

“We must find the hunger that we showed in all last season and in this season sometimes. We have to try to find the strength to understand and to use this loss in the right way.”Conte has cut a restless figure all season with Chelsea’s Premier League title defence having been so underwhelming as they lie nine points off the leaders Manchester City.

Increasing media speculation about Conte being replaced at Stamford Bridge by compatriot Carlo Ancelotti also left him uncharacteristically irritable at a news conference last week.