After this latest reverse, Chelsea have 11 points from as many league matches. This relegation form is totally alien to both the Blues and their highly successful manager. The current damning situation is not lost on Mou who belatedly concurred to my prediction that the reigning champions would not make the Top 4 this season by admitting a UCL place might be a bridge too far for his beleaguered Blues this season.
Were Mou not the manager at the struggling champions, the boss would have gotten the sack a long time ago, though the Special One might still get the boot sooner rather than later if things don’t improve quickly or has he already?
Rumours had it that Mou had lost the dressing room. Now, that’s incredible, given his much vaunted man-managerial skills. And as at the time of writing, it was insinuated that owner Roman Abramovich might be preparing a severance package for the Portuguese tactician in the wake of the capitulation to the Reds.
Mourinho himself didn’t help matters when he bizarrely held a short meeting with his staff at the centre of the pitch at Stamford Bridge rather than in the dressing room after the latest setback. Could the Special One be saying his good byes to his staff? We’re destined to know soon.
Should he retain his job beyond this week, he might be doing so for a couple of reasons, namely:
REPUTATION: WHETHER you like him or not, Mou is one of the most successful club coaches of all time who has won the top prize at any of the four countries he has managed. He is also Chelsea’s most successful manager of all time, never mind that he was quick to remind us of this after another 3-1 home loss to Southampton. His worst league position ever with any major club was third (at Chelsea two seasons ago).
He also won the league and a Capital One Cup double just last season, remember? And like his protagonists will remind us, he has about a score honours to his name in his illustrious managerial career. Therefore he couldn’t just become a poor coach overnight, hell no!
POPULARITY:IN SPITE of all his recent struggles Mou remains a very popular figure among Blues faithful as evidenced by a couple of supportive banners which decked Stamford Bridge during the defeat to the Reds. And his cult figure was reinforced as fans defiantly and vigorously chanted his name in response to Liverpool fans’ ridicule of their beloved boss.
Mou is still a very popular figure to Blue faithful at home and in the diaspora. Such is his charisma that he could do no wrong in the sight of most Chelsea fans.
Although not that this really matters to Abramovich who sacked him during his first stint even when the manager was extremely popular with the fans.
HUGE PAYOFF: THE Blues unwittingly boxed themselves into a tight corner when extending Mou’s contract by four years at the beginning of this campaign.
After leading them to a mini double last season, Abramovich felt obliged to tie Mou to a long term deal and the Portuguese happily accepted after inserting an “innocuous” hefty payoff clause which would guarantee him a king-size £33m should he be sacked by trigger-happy owner.
In all fairness, Mou didn’t pine for the extension. It was all RA’s idea, an idea which has become a big problem in the current situation.
DEARTH OF QUALITY REPLACEMENT: CHELSEA look stuck with Mou because there are no better alternatives out there as we speak. Truth is were somebody like Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola available today, Abramovich might have sacked the Special One by now.
And unless they want to continue recycling managers, the only available managers seem to be Blues former bosses Carlo Ancelotti, Guus Hiddink and Roberto Di Mateo. The only neutral top class coach in this regard would be Juup Heynckes who won a treble with Bayern Munich in 2012. Pick your choice, Mr Abramovich.
Whatever the decision of Blues Russian billionaire, the clock appears to be ticking for Mourinho. His only grace will be to start turning results around quickly or he will get his P45.
JOSE MOURINHO’S 2015/16 SEASON CHELSEA RECORD
LEAGUE – PLAYED 11, WON 3, DREW 2, LOST 6
UCL – PLAYED 3, WON 1, DREW 1, LOST 1
CAPITAL ONE CUP – PLAYED 2, WON 1, LOST 1
TOTAL – PLAYED 16, WON 5, DREW 3, LOST 8
MOURINHO’S CHELSEA RETURN – 3 JUNE, 2013 TILL PRESENT
PLAYED 128, WON 76, DREW 28, LOST 24
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