Jose tells ailing Chelsea: You will have to sack me
JOSE MOURINHO insisted he will not be walking away from Stamford Bridge after watching Chelsea’s season hit a new low with a crushing home defeat by Southampton last night.
The defiant manager urged everyone at the club to ‘stick together’ and is convinced the champions can still finish in the top three, despite their worst start to a season for 37 years — when they were relegated.
‘I don’t run away,’ he said. ‘If the club wants to sack me, they have to sack me, because I’m not running away from my responsibilities or my team.
‘I’m more than convinced that we can finish in the top four and in a season so bad, finishing top four is OK.
‘If the club sacks me, they sack the best manager this club ever had. This is a moment for everyone to take responsibility and stick together.’
Mourinho’s decision to recall John Terry backfired spectacularly as Saints came from a goal down to pile more pressure on the Chelsea boss.
They are now 10 points behind leaders Manchester City — who crushed Newcastle 6-1 — but Mourinho was once again raging over referee Robert Madley’s decision not to award a penalty when Radamel Falcao went down in a challenge with Southampton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
‘The referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea,’ he stormed. ‘At 1-1, it is a huge penalty and once again we don’t get it. If the FA wants to punish me they can. They don’t punish other managers.’
During the initial stages it seemed like the Chelsea of last season; even more so when Willian opened the scoring on 10 minutes, the Brazilian repeating last weekend’s trick of curling in an effort from a free-kick 30 yards out. The ball spun past the outstretched arm of Stekelenburg and in off a post.
For a while, Chelsea seemed much more at ease with the world, but slowly Southampton eased themselves back into the game and Sadio Mane began to torment them. The Senegalese winger should have had a penalty when Ramires felled him.
Chelsea dropped deep and failed to compete as they had earlier. It was no surprise when Jose Fonte lofted a long ball which Graziano Pelle chested down superbly into the path of Steven Davis. The quality of his half-volley matched the assist, and Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic barely saw it as it ripped into the net.
After the break, Chelsea felt aggrieved when Cesc Fabregas’s lovely through ball saw Falcao felled by Stekelenburg — but the Colombian went down a fraction too early and received a yellow card.
On the hour, when Pelle was allowed by Gary Cahill to play in a dangerous-looking ball, Terry misjudged his sliding interception and Mane darted clear on goal and slotted into the net.
Ten minutes later, Mane released Pelle wide on his right after Eden Hazard had given away possesion.
The Italian finished superbly to complete Chelsea’s misery.