Saturday 4 November 2017 07:08, UK
Antonio Conte admits he tries to pass on his "suffering" after a defeat to his Chelsea players, in a bid to get a positive response.
The Chelsea coach is looking for a reaction against Manchester United in the Super Sunday showdown after Tuesday night's 3-0 Champions League defeat at Roma, which saw Conte questioning his side's 'hunger'.
And adversity will reveal the true character of the Blues players, according to the Italian.
"We are struggling a lot, because we are facing a lot of important problems," he said. "To solve these problems is not simple. In this moment, you can see if you are a winner or a loser.
"It's important to show our character, to be strong, to face the problem in the right way. I try to transfer my suffering to my players. Sometimes I am able to do this, to have a good answer."
Chelsea twice beat United at Stamford Bridge last season, but Conte will accept responsibility if things go wrong this weekend.
He said: "I'm a coach who doesn't like to find excuses. Sometimes I prefer to (face) all the mistakes."
Chelsea have lost three of their first 10 Premier League matches this term, to sit nine points behind leaders Manchester City entering this weekend's fixtures.
Asked how important Sunday's game is for the title race, Conte pointed to the form of Pep Guardiola's side.
"Now there is a big problem for all the teams that want to fight for the title and this big problem is Manchester City," said Conte, who hopes N'Golo Kante will return from a hamstring problem.
"If they continue in this way, it will be very difficult to fight for the title."
Watch Chelsea v Manchester United live on Nissan Super Sunday from 4.15pm on Sky Sports Premier League
