Chelsea Manager Antonio Conte Reportedly Slammed Players After UCL Loss to Roma

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte reportedly "snapped" following the Blues' 3-0 UEFA Champions League defeat to Roma on Tuesday and told his players anyone who does not improve quickly will be dropped. 

According to Matt Law in the Telegraph, Conte gave his team "the full hairdryer treatment" following the humbling at the Stadio Olimpico and accused them of shirking responsibility in the second half.

Chelsea were on the back foot inside a minute against Roma when Stephan El Shaarawy netted a stunner after just 38 seconds.

The forward then added a second after Antonio Rudiger's defensive blunder nine minutes from half-time, and Diego Perotti netted a third just after the hour.

Per Goal, Conte said after the match he was happy with Chelsea's first-half performance but disappointed by a lack of drive and fight after the break:

Per Law, the Italian manager was dismayed and embarrassed by some poor Chelsea defending.

Of particular note was the farcical moment in the second half when David Luiz, Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta all followed Edin Dzeko as he broke towards the box, leaving a huge open space for the Bosnian to pass into and create a golden chance, per The Independent's Miguel Delaney:

After leading Chelsea to an impressive Premier League title in his debut season with the club last term, Conte has endured a tough time of late.

The Blues are already nine points off the pace in the English top flight and now face a more challenging task to qualify from Group C to the knockout stages of the Champions League.

There have been murmurings Conte's position could be in danger, per Nick Ames in the Observer.

However, per Law, Conte continues to have the backing of the Chelsea board, and he will be looking for a response from his players when the Blues host Manchester United in a crucial Premier League clash on Sunday.