Chelsea boss (Jose Mourinho) has to get back to what made him the Special One... and Chelsea HAVE to back him

Roman Abramovich will make a decision over whether to sack the Blues boss in two weeks' time but he should be given time to put things right at Stamford Bridge

 

 

The good news for Jose Mourinho is that Sam Allardyce and Tony Pulis are both in gainful employment. After all, a club languishing in 15th place, with an air of underachievement, signings who have not succeeded, a dreadful defensive record and seemingly fractious players would normally send for one of the relegation troubleshooters.

Such is the strange position Mourinho finds himself in. He is normally bracketed alongside Carlo Ancelotti and Sir Alex Ferguson, Rinus Michels and Arrigo Sacchi, the all-time greats. He tends to be leading the table, not jostling for position in the sack race, only to see Tim Sherwood sprint across the line.

The Englishman was fired five months after managing Aston Villa in the FA Cup final. Five months ago, Chelsea were crowned champions. But the similarities end there. Sherwood is a rookie, Mourinho in a situation he has never experienced before. Chelsea, not Villa, are the season's greatest disappointments.



But that does not mean Mourinho should be fired. There are times, whether in his extraordinary seven-minute monologue after the defeat to Southampton or Saturday's meltdown at West Ham, when he appears to be inviting Roman Abramovich to dismiss him.

Goal understands Chelsea will review Mourinho's position during the international break in mid-November, but there are days when he projects the impression he is out of control and games when it appears his paranoia is infecting his team and damaging their chances. There are moments when it seems as though they could benefit from the fresh approach of a less intense, more upbeat manager.

Yet he remains Jose Mourinho. The winner of two Champions Leagues, eight domestic league titles and 22 trophies in total. He is, as he said immodestly but accurately recently, the greatest manager in Chelsea's history. Were Abramovich looking for a manager, his CV would make him the stand-out candidate.

His side are stumbling now, but many are players who have produced the best form of their career under Mourinho: Eden Hazard, Nemanja Matic, Branislav Ivanovic, Cesar Azpilicueta. Many are Mourinho's signings. Some, seemingly, are his disciples. Where he has led, they have followed. Where he has criticised referees, they have harangued them. While outsiders may condemn Chelsea's behaviour, the Portuguese defends Diego Costa's antics. Such loyalty may yet bring a reward in the form of goals.


If his players have to return to being the indomitable champions of last season, he has to return to being Jose Mourinho, the manager whose sides are built on watertight defending, the man whose teams go on extended excellent runs, the specialist in big games and the coach who could go for years without losing at home.

The strangest element of Chelsea's slide is that it is quintessentially Mourinho. It is also a reason not to replace him. They have delivered too little for the Portuguese this season, but any successor may want a radically different group, whether because of their footballing philosophy, tactical plans or preference for different personalities. In other words, and while Chelsea have the talent to surge up the table, there is no guarantee of a quick fix. Rebuilding major clubs can be an expensive process. Just ask Manchester United, who have spent around £280 million under Louis van Gaal alone.

It is better to find the answer within, even if Mourinho has questions to field. He has proved himself to be the best short-term manager in modern football. When he signed a contract until 2019 in August, a manager who has never stayed anywhere for four years gave himself the opportunity to prove he can prosper over a longer period.


 

THE CANDIDATES | Who could replace Mourinho at Chelsea? 

When he did so, neither he nor Chelsea could have envisaged such a dramatic decline. It has changed much, not least the image of Mourinho as a manager with an immunity to the slumps others suffer, but not everything.

He remains a manager who is destined to be bracketed among the best. Some of them have endured their difficult days, too. Many thought Sir Alex Ferguson was a fading force in 2005, when United lost 4-1 at Middlesbrough and Roy Keane made a dramatic exit from Old Trafford. Some felt Arsene Wenger was past it in 2011, when Arsenal were hammered 8-2 by United.

Ferguson recovered to win the Premier League 18 months later and the Champions League within two-and-a-half years. Wenger may not have reached such heights, but he has proved himself a fine damage-limitation expert. Mourinho has sniped at the Frenchman and his record of consistent top-four finishes but now needs to emulate the supposed specialist in failure before seeing if he can return to the summit of the game, Ferguson-style.

The great Scot is proof that the best deserve to be treated differently from the rest. It is only a few months since Mourinho really was the Special One. Chelsea would have to be absolutely certain he no longer is before they dismiss him.