Conte stresses that sky isn't falling amid Chelsea's recent struggles

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has asked the English press to exercise a measure of calm and realistic representation surrounding his team, reminding reporters of the Blues' position in the league table and the current state of its various title bids.

The Italian tactician's future at the club has become the subject of speculation following back-to-back Premier League losses to Watford and Bournemouth. But Conte asked that those results not taint the bigger picture, insisting that any drastic decision made in a moment of adversity.

"There are two ways (to build a team) - "There is a stupid way and an intelligent way," Conte said, as quoted by Dominic Fifield of the Guardian. "This is my opinion. At the same time, I have great respect for everyone's opinion. If the club decides to send me away, I don't know when, it'll be because they’re not happy with my work.

"As you know very well, my contract expires in 2019. From my point of view, there is the will to stay and continue to work for this club."

Conte also has fired back to those who have suggested his team is feeling the pressure by pointing out that Chelsea remains very much in the hunt for a number of trophies this season, including a Champions League date opposite Barcelona.

"We are talking about a team that is (fifth) in the league, that is preparing to face the game against Barcelona," Conte told reporters, as quoted by Liam Twomey of ESPN FC. "We are in the FA Cup, and we reached the semifinals in the Carabao Cup.

"I think we understand that, when you lose two games in a row, the situation is not simple. But maybe we are increasing the difficulty of this team.

When asked to explain further, Conte added: "Because it seems like we are fighting for the relegation zone. There are a lot of rumours and speculation, despite (the fact that) we are keeping our expectations. I don't think that anyone trusted us to win the title this season. There were two teams fighting for the title, both from Manchester. Also last season, we started behind.

"For this reason, there are too many speculations around this club, around me, around this team. I think that, maybe, you have to find a bit more balance. I understand that we have to live with this pressure, and it's OK for me. It's OK for me and my players."