Antonio Conte deserves praise for weathering the ongoing storm at Stamford Bridge, regardless of how close he truly was to losing his job mid-season.

Despite showing the door to Chelsea bosses amid similar circumstances during years gone by, Roman Abramovich has persisted with the Italian for the time being.

Positive results against West Brom, Hull and most recently Barcelona have eased concerns following a harrowing defeat to Watford in early February.

The 4-1 loss at Vicarage Road is unquestionably the Blues’ worst performance of the campaign to date, especially off the back of a 3-0 whipping at home to Bournemouth.

While both outings were nothing short of calamitous, surrendering three points to Watford showed a version of Conte rarely seen before.

The 48-year-old was far less emotional on the touchline as he watched the Hornets outclass his men in every facet of the match.

Conte’s timid body language led Chelsea supporters to fear their beloved manager may no longer have his heart in the job – and it’s difficult to blame them.

But it seems the former Juventus and Italy boss learnt a valuable lesson in the process, not least because of a text from his father.

CONTE HEARD FROM HIS DAD

"My family start to worry if they don't see me [being passionate]," Conte said, per Goal.

"They start to worry because it means I'm not happy. They don't recognise me. A lot of time I start the game with this idea to try to enjoy the game, to stay sat down.

"To enjoy the game in this way is not the same for me. It is not the same for my players, it is not the same for the fans, or for my father. My father watched the game against Watford. He said: 'Oi, I didn't see you with the right hunger, the right passion. You finished the game with your voice. That's not for you.

"I think you must have passion in every game. If you play against Barcelona or you play with a low team. It doesn't matter, honestly I don't think my passion against Watford was less. For sure, it was a strange night for everyone."

An unlucky 1-1 draw in the Blues’ first-leg meeting with Barcelona is a testament to Conte and his ability to keep grinding away under pressure.

The fan favourite has stabilised the situation for now, but with crunch fixtures against the Manchester clubs forthcoming, his recovery work could be undone in little more than a weeks’ time.