Jose Mourinho may have never faced so much pressure in one game and there is no title on the line. What may be on it is his job as Chelsea's manager after a horrible start to the 2015-2016 season.
The Blues have lost five out of the first ten games this year, standing in 15th place. Right now their thoughts are mostly centered on avoiding relegation rather than repeating as the Premier League champions. With so many things not going Mourinho's way, his chances to step out the door are rapidly increasing.
Inside the Field Problems
The difficulties that Chelsea has challenged early in the season have started among its own roster. Many of their players have not performed up to the expectation. Diego Costa, Pedro and Radamel Falcao are far away from shining like they were supposed to. None of them have scored more than two goals in all competitions.
The fact that he cut ties with Eva Carneiro at the beginning of the season, accusing her of "not reading the game" properly, has played a domino effect on the Special One and not the way he may have wanted.
Diego Costa has struggled to find the form he showed in his debut season where he was the leading scorer for the Blues with 20 in the EPL. Eden Hazard was next in the list with 14, but none of them have started this new chapter with the right foot. The Belgian player is miles away from where he left off last season as "Player of the Year".
John Terry is a veteran in the team, and while he had an outstanding season last season, this 2015-2015 term has not been the same at all. He is usually found on the bench rather than playing in every single game last season. The 34-year old player has played in seven league games and has already received a red card.
Expectation vs Reality
With Mourinho using the 2013-2014 season to adapt to the new things Chelsea had, the 2014-2015 season was just as good as it could get for Mourinho in terms of the domestic league. They finished it with a seven-point lead and winning every game they needed to. They were almost unstoppable.
People, including fans and media, were probably expecting a similar outcome this year. With an even stronger fight in the European front to win his first Champions League title with Chelsea. After three Champions League games, the Blues find themselves with a 1-1-1 record.
This is not the start Mou or his team wanted
No reigning @premierleague champions has had fewer points after 10 games than @ChelseaFC do with their total of 11. pic.twitter.com/VNgEPNH3vo
— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) October 30, 2015
Mourinho remains insistent he has not lost the support of his players - we'll hear from the manager on #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/qA4ZoAYZg5
— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) October 28, 2015
Now, Mourinho has to face reality, and the way he sees it, the team will take a one-year break from the Champions League next season as he does not see a top-four finish this season happening. That still doesn't make him believe that Roman Abramovich will be looking to get him off his spot anytime soon.
Mourinho's Comparisons
Probably one of the most analytical coaches there is in the world goes by the name of Jose Mourinho. He overthinks every decision that he makes and can defend it with a strong argument or an excuse. Right now he is fighting a stadium ban plus a £50,000 fine for insulting a match official. The FA has found in Mou a strong client.
"Last season Liverpool won nothing and didn't qualify for the Champions League, and they are still a big club," Mourinho said in a press conference leading to this Saturday's game.
He also adds that people should look closely at what has happened with Manchester United. The team that underwent a horrible streak with David Moyes as their manager is now resurrecting with Louis van Gaal in charge after the past season was also not so great.
"Two years ago United didn't qualify for the Champions League -- not even the Europa League -- won nothing, and they are still a monster club. That is football," the Special One added.
Players Backing Up Mou
Some of Mourinho's players have stepped up to the plate and claimed that their manager should not take all the blame for the lack of good results from the team at Old Trafford. At the same time, Mourinho has given a pat on the back to some of his players that have struggled this season.
"He tried everything in the last game, had a positive game, played for two hours. I'm pleased with his performance," Mourinho said about Hazard after he missed a penalty in the game against Stoke City.
"It's important for him [Mourinho] to stay and we don't want to give up," Loic Remy said giving full support to his manager.
Even John Terry has decided to stand by his coach and tell the world that Mourinho should not leave despite the result this weekend at Old Trafford. Mou has continuously bragged about the quality of player that Terry is.
Analysts Talk About Mou (Tweets)
Gary Neville: "Mourinho is a fantastic manager - one of the best in the world...but the bad headlines need to stop quickly."
— Deji Kofi Faremi (@deejayfaremi) October 26, 2015
Jurgen Klopp on Jose Mourinho: "If you are not a journalist or a referee, he can be a nice guy. I'm neither of those. He is a nice guy."
— Oluwashina Okeleji (@oluwashina) October 30, 2015
Thierry Henry: "When Jose Mourinho said the other week that there is no better manager for Chelsea out there, he was telling the truth" #CFC
— ChelsTransfer (@ChelsTransfer) October 30, 2015
Carragher: "Jose Mourinho is too good, there's probably only two or three managers in world football at his level" #CFC (Sky)
— ChelsTransfer (@ChelsTransfer) October 29, 2015
Carragher: "Jose Mourinho is too good, there's probably only two or three managers in world football at his level" #CFC (Sky)
— ChelsTransfer (@ChelsTransfer) October 29, 2015
The Pressure of the Press
His Odds of Getting Sacked
When it comes to mathematic calculations, Mourinho's chances to stay are not so strong. The Special One is at the top of the list in many models that predict who could be the next manager to get sacked. Paddy Power has him with a 10/11 chance to leave, while SkyBet has him with 8/11.
Jose Mourinho has never lost to Liverpool at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea hasn't lost to Liverpool since 2012. Optimistic. #cfc
— Jake Cohen (@JakeFCohen) October 30, 2015
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