The Premier League champions lost 3-1 at home to Southampton, their fourth league defeat in eight games. “So I want to carry on”.
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“It is a crucial moment in the history of this club because if they sack me they sack the best manager this club has ever had” he said.
Chelsea have already lost six games in all competitions this term and have plunged to fifth from bottom in the league, 10 points behind table-topping Manchester City, after eight matches.
“Generally I think we are looking low on confidence. Secondly because I like this club very much”.
“If they tell you they don’t trust me, [that] is the only thing that can make me resign”.
However, Steven Davis rattled home a 43rd-minute equalizer from Graziano Pelle’s chested lay-off before an unsuccessful interception by Terry allowed Sadio Mane to run through and put Southampton ahead on the hour.
His criticisms of the referee, notably over Maarten Stekelenburg’s challenge on Falcao, are sure to draw scrutiny from the FA.
The decision to recall captain John Terry backfired and fellow centre back Gary Cahill was similarly suspect in defence as Mourinho endured only his third league loss at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea manager.
“If they have a few negative reaction, I’d do the same because the result wasn’t what we wanted”.
“The team comes out with a good spirit, we have a penalty and the penalty is a giant penalty, and he [the referee] was afraid to give, like everybody else is afraid to give, so no penalty”.
“The team, mentally, psychologically, is unbelievably down. We find ourselves in it and it is down to the group of players and the manager to get ourselves out of it and we must do that very soon”.
The last time Chelsea started a season this poorly was 37 years ago – they were relegated in the 1978-79 season.
Chelsea won the title last season and had the best defensive record in the top flight with just 32 goals conceded.
“With the players, I live a situation that is not easy which is that I like them“.
As football curses go, we reckon this is a pretty good one!
“I define this as the worst period in my career”, Mourinho said on Friday.
“This is a moment for people to assume their responsibilities”.
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“Mourinho’s problem at the moment is he’s treating a few of them with the stick and it’s not working, he’s treating others with the carrot like [Branislav] Ivanovic, who keeps playing, and it’s not working for them either”.
