Will Jose Mourinho leave Chelsea this season if poor form persists?
This season hasn’t exactly gone according to plan for Jose Mourinho and Chelsea. While the Blues won the Premier League title at somewhat of a canter in his second campaign of the 52-year-old’s second stint in charge, true to form, his third term has been less successful so far.
Two Premier League wins from eight matches is simply not good enough and they are just two places off the relegation zone. Though, it is unfolding into the same old story for Mourinho. At Inter Milan and Real Madrid he didn’t last beyond three seasons, however the Portuguese manager has said that he will only go if the players want him to go despite being priced at 9/2 with Coral to be the next Premier League boss to leave.
Speaking after the 3-1 home defeat to Southampton last time out, prior to the international break, Mourinho responded to critics: “People can say what they want. I think you should go straight to the players.
“Get a table at Cobham next week – John Terry doesn’t go to the national team, Diego Costa doesn’t go, Ramires doesn’t go. Ask them.
“If they tell you they don’t trust me, that is the only thing that can make me resign. The only thing. But not fake sources. The players at the table.”
“It makes me understand how big a guy I am,” he continued. “I am not afraid. I’m not crying, I’m not desperate. It makes me realise how big I was, how big I am.
“When you win and you win titles and you are champion, life is easy. It’s easy to be proud. It’s easy to be what you are.
“In this moment it’s not so easy and my feelings – I’m so unhappy with the sport feeling of defeat but I am so happy with myself with the way I am facing this.”
The Blues poor start to the season has seen their odds of retaining the title drop to 16/1 having started as favourites and Mourinho needs results fast.
One trophy that has evaded him at Chelsea is the Champions League which he has won twice with Porto and Inter Milan, and it could well be this which keeps his motivation with the west London side also 16/1 to win Europe’s elite club competition this campaign.
Roman Abramovich isn’t exactly known as an impatient man, though he went out on a limb to lure Mourinho back to Stamford Bridge, even buying extravagant gifts for the ‘Special One’. If he hadn’t won the Premier League last season, he could well be on borrowed time, though it isn’t a complete disaster right now.
Mourinho is known for creating a good team spirit and togetherness, as proven last campaign; his players will do anything for him; a quality characterised by captain Terry who has come out in support of him in recent weeks.
Giving his players an extra holiday in pre-season definitely seems to have backfired and they were playing catch-up from day one, conceding two soft goals to Swansea City and struggling to find a cutting edge; something they still have problems with.
Star striker Costa has recently revealed he came back overweight, while Cesc Fabregas looks the shadow of the player he was last term, plus on-loan forward Radamel Falcao still hasn’t fully recovered from a knee injury.
It is perhaps too early to say whether Mourinho will be sacked this season, however if there hasn’t been a considerable improvement by January, the writing may be well and truly on the wall. A third season once more being a bridge too far at Chelsea.
