How Antonio Conte is being undermined from above and below at Chelsea

With reports of late-night summits with the owner, and no league win for a month now, Antonio Conte seems to be finding life at Stamford Bridge a little harder than might have been expected.

The pained expression he wore after a 3-0 humbling at the hands of Arsenal, along with an exasperated tone that was audible even through his still-improving English, was plain to see. But are we really into crisis mode after just six league games?

Not quite yet, but the threat is there.

Conte has built a reputation based on being a master of motivation, and a creator of stingy defences. But, after a soft landing in the Premier League recently came to an abrupt halt, we are seeing little evidence of either.

The defensive issues, as seen in shipping two goals in almost as many minutes against both Swansea and Arsenal, are clear to see. Conte is used to dealing with Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, whereas that has now been swapped for Gary Cahill and David Luiz. But the problems are far wider than just personnel.

While those language skills are coming on, there seems to be something lost in translation when it comes to motivating the players: hence his frequent instruction, post-match, that they must “work and work and work”. The problem is that we are dealing with a team that has been criticised for its reluctance to do just that when faced with major challenges: a situation that at least partially contributed to the departure of two of its last three permanent bosses.

There were frequent complaints last season that these players were too self-regarding and not nearly team-focused enough to make things happen. Aside from the recruitment of N'Golo Kante, little depth was added to address that in the summer.

Having seen Conte at the Euros, there will have been many who expected this new project to take-off in an effortless fashion. Some among his predecessors will have found that easy: take Jose Mourinho, in his first stint, who took over an improving team that was on an upward curve inspired by then underrated departing boss Claudio Ranieri.

But now Chelsea have a group of players who have been through continual change for some time, taking delivery of a different tactical and training manual as often as twice a season. The whole chassis of this side needs replacing. Not just because talents and abilities are fading, but also because that constant trauma appears to have burned out a number of big personalities long before their age suggests should be the case.

This is not good news for Conte: his motivational talents will be tested to the limit by players who have seen it all and are tired of it; his tactical abilities pushed by those suffering from the fatigue brought about by constant change.

So what of these late-night summits? Is patience already running thin on the owner's yacht?

Roman Abramovich has taken quite a close interest in the fortunes of recent permanent bosses: Mourinho Mark 2, Andre Villas-Boas and Carlo Ancelotti all acutely felt his presence at the training ground.

Conte is nowhere near that stage of the cycle just yet, but he has been clear that he speaks to those that run the club regularly. Abramovich himself does have a pretty hectic schedule, taking in numerous time zones, so reports of Conte burning the midnight oil when talking to him might not be as odd or as alarming as reports seem to suggest.

Things need to start to gel, in a way we're yet to see against stronger opposition, though Conte will doubtless have also insisted he needs the sort of support in the transfer market that wasn't especially evident over this last summer.

One point in nine at this stage of the season does not threaten the new man's long-term livelihood. Teething problems are to be expected and there is nothing to say Chelsea are not still on target for their goal of a top-four finish.

But unless those who run Chelsea are willing to support Conte, and unless those who work for him are willing to make the effort to change, then his name could be joining that list of ex-bosses far sooner than a manager of his undoubted talent and ability deserves.