Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has not had the best of times. It is hard to believe that this was the same Chelsea squad that romped to the title just a few months ago. It seems that Eden Hazard’s missed penalty is a representation of his own decline in form.
If there’s anyone who can turn it around, however, it’s Mourinho. Granted, his behavior (raging at everyone, including his club doctor) has not been the most gentlemanly. His PR skills are severely questionable, and that’s placed a negative mood around the club. Transfer dealings have not been the most spectacular, but Pedro and Asmir Begovic could hardly be considered bad signings. Some of the blame has to fall on the players for letting their manager down and not playing to the same standard.
But to sack the best manager that Chelsea has ever had would be a grave mistake. Who would they appoint in replacement? Fabio Capello’s hardly convincing -- and equally defensive-minded. Guus Hiddink’s stock has fallen with his Dutch embarrassment, and the Jürgen Klopp boat has sailed. Brendan Rodgers will never be half as convincing as Mourinho, and the Chelsea faithful will not take kindly to the possible return of André Villas-Boas. Neither will he, nor Carlo Ancelotti.
You saw a fighting spirit at Stoke, and Chelsea actually started out well against Liverpool. The squad wants to find a way out of the slump, and the last thing they need is instability with a change in manager. Chelsea have a relatively easier run of fixtures next -- with home games against Bournemouth, Norwich and Sunderland, and an away match at Watford. Even with trying fixtures against Tottenham and Leicester, I expect an improvement in Chelsea’s performance.
The fans are behind Mourinho. Posters of “The Only Way is Jose” and “Stick with Jose” decorated Stamford Bridge on Saturday. For all the talk about “third-season” syndrome, perhaps this would be the opportunity for Mourinho to reshape his image.
Gone are the days where Chelsea had a culture of rapid firing. In Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's reappointing of Mourinho, the manager he so publicly feuded with, Abramovich sent out a sign that he was ready to stabilize the Chelsea ship. A quick-fix -- i.e. sacking Mourinho -- is not the answer, but they have some of the best talent in the country, winning the FA Youth Cup thrice in four years. Perhaps sacrificing the season to rebuild with youngsters could strengthen Chelsea going forward. Loosening the defensive shackles and allowing players like Cesc Fabregas, Hazard and Oscar to attack freely could restore confidence to the side. Arguably that was how the title was won -- Chelsea played scintillating football in the first half of last year.
I think that Chelsea will still be playing European football come next season. Mourinho is not David Moyes, and this Chelsea squad is nowhere as weak as the Manchester United squad that Moyes inherited in 2013.
Sacking Mourinho again would end the relationship once and for all, and I’m not sure if that’s the best move for Chelsea.
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