Drinkwater hails Conte 'passion'

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich visited the club's training ahead of the Champions League thrashing, but Drinkwater confirmed that this visit did not turn Conte's passion down.

Instead, the players were lambasted by the Italian in midweek, ahead of Sunday's clash with Manchester United, and Drinkwater can see he is not a manager who does not hide his emotions.

"We discussed the game, looked at the problems and now we're looking ahead to Sunday to hopefully get a result there," Drinkwater told the 'Daily Mail' ahead of the game.

"Conte was a big factor in me coming to Chelsea, his passion for football and to win games was something that I looked at and I wanted to be a part of. The reality is it's not changed.

"It's the same as what you see on the sideline: the passion, the emotion. He's that person. He's great to work with. He is what he is. What you see is what you get.

"He doesn't hide his emotions, he doesn't not show his passion. He wears his heart on his sleeve and I think that shows in his players."

A mixed opening to Chelsea's Premier League title defence has heaped pressure on Conte and Chelsea as they head to Old Trafford, but Drinkwater insists that the players aren't feeling the heat anymore than they usually would for the visit of a top Premier League team.

"It's always a big game. It's United at Stamford Bridge," he said. "It's a massive game no matter how the results have been in the past.

"We're just going to try to focus on ourselves and hopefully the performance comes and we get the result we want."