Chelsea's poor form and the question of Mourinho's future

Jose Mourinho has proved himself one of the best managers in the world, having won everything possible in his club career, but Chelsea’s recent performances were far from convincing. That was why football analysts in England had started talking about a possible sacking of The Special One.

Asked whether he was going to resign, the manager replied that he would not resign and would not give up unless the club sacked him. The Portuguese is a well-known perfectionist, and the answer showed that Mourinho was motivated to prove he was the best, although he also appeared to believe there was a conspiracy against him and that referees were helping Chelsea’s opponents.

The Portuguese manager had reportedly been given an ultimatum: the team had to win its next three games, against Liverpool, Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League and Stoke City. Even if Chelsea won all three, it was not certain that Mourinho would stay at Stamford Bridge.

Beyond the poor results, there was no sign of the form of the previous season, when The Blues won the Premier League and the Capital One Cup. Chelsea were out of the League Cup and 11 points off first place in the Premiership after ten rounds. The Blues had won just 5 of their 15 competitive matches that season.

Mourinho has shown that he can find a way out of difficult situations, but he was not the only one to blame for Chelsea’s decline. His row with the team doctor, Eva Carneiro, had a negative effect on the squad. Last but not least, some of Chelsea’s key players were completely out of form. Hazard, for example, one of the most effective Blues players the previous season, had become invisible on the pitch.

The fans also blamed the manager for his summer transfer policy. Abdul Rahman Baba, signed from Augsburg, was still struggling to adapt to the Premier League. Apart from Pedro and Falcao, there were no other major additions to the Blues’ squad, and the Colombian’s poor form in the Premier League continued after his unsuccessful spell at Manchester United.

On the other hand, Mourinho still had a chance to save Chelsea’s season. The team simply had to start winning matches, and three consecutive victories would make everything look different. Sooner or later the players would also find their best form, since Chelsea’s squad was full of class.

Only time would tell what would happen to Jose Mourinho and his career at Chelsea. Sacking him would arguably have been the wrong decision, because he has a great understanding of the game and had proven himself the best at choosing the right tactics for every single match.

The next games

Chelsea beat Dynamo Kyiv 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on 4 November 2015, with Willian scoring the winner from a free-kick in the 83rd minute. Three days later they lost 1-0 away to Stoke City, Marko Arnautovic scoring in the second half while Mourinho served a stadium ban imposed by the FA. It was Chelsea's third straight Premier League defeat.

Mourinho's departure

The slide continued into December. After a 2-1 defeat at leaders Leicester City on 14 December 2015, Chelsea were 16th, one point above the relegation zone, having lost nine of their 16 league games. The club announced Mourinho's departure by mutual consent on 17 December, and on 19 December confirmed Guus Hiddink, who had already been caretaker at Stamford Bridge in 2009, as manager until the end of the season. Chelsea finished tenth with 50 points and were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain, 4-2 on aggregate, in the round of 16.

Mourinho did not stay out of English football for long. Manchester United appointed him on 27 May 2016 on a three-year contract. Chelsea, under Antonio Conte, won the 2016-17 Premier League with 93 points, a campaign that included 13 consecutive league wins.