“There are many difficulties,” he admitted, adding that there was little point speaking about a title challenge until they had improved as a defensive unit. “If someone thinks that this season is going to be easy, we must work a lot to improve, to change the situation,” Conte said.

“Now, we are a great team only on paper, not on the pitch. The pitch is the truth. The pitch is the most important thing for us: not words, not on paper. The situation is that, every game, we concede a minimum of two goals. I have to solve the situation. The title? We must work a lot to find some continuity. The most important thing now is to work and not think about other situations.”