Chelsea would be ridding themselves of "the best manager the club has had" if they were to relieve Jose Mourinho of his duties following Saturday's 3-1 home defeat to Southampton, as the manager directed blame at the officials.
The Blues' season lies in turmoil after the loss left Chelsea sitting 16th in the Premier League after eight games, but Mourinho remains confident he should keep his position, per the Press Association:
Mourinho assured the public he won't be the one to pull the plug on his Chelsea tenure if he does indeed leave, putting the ball firmly in the court of club owner Roman Abramovich, per Sky Sports' Fabrizio Romano:
He even went on to outline that "no financial offer will persuade me to go," according to Darren Lewis of the Mirror, a sign of just how offended The Special One is that things have come to this point.
It seemed almost as if Mourinho was reassuring himself of his own pedigree when explaining how desperate the club was to lure him back, proclaiming the squad will bounce back this winter:
The defending Premier League champions got off to a fine start on Saturday following Willian's free-kick opener, but goals from Steven Davis,Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle turned the tide.
It was a damning indictment of just how far the club has fallen from such a triumphant 2014-15 campaign, but Mourinho was quick to divert attention away from himself and toward his players, according toSquawka:
The score was finely poised at 1-1 when Radamel Falcao saw a penalty appeal turned down after appearing to come into contact with Southampton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
The Saints also had a couple of their own penalty appeals rejected by referee Robert Madley, but Mourinho told Sky Sports he was certain the officials were at fault in his side's defeat, per ESPN FC:
Look, I think you know me and I think you know I don't run away from responsibilities. Because we are in such a bad moment we shouldn't be afraid to be honest.The referees are afraid to give decisions to Chelsea. Once more we don't get the penalty at a crucial moment in the game.The penalty in this game is crucial because my team, at the moment, the first negative thing that happens, they collapse.
Usually, managers may be more cautious regarding their criticism of the officials, but Mourinho was incensed to the point of outlining he wouldn't care if there were to be repercussions due to his comments.
"If they [the FA] want to punish me, they can punish me," Mourinho said. "I want to say it again: referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea. The penalty was a giant penalty and the referee was afraid to give it, like everyone else is afraid to give it."
Fans were clearly upset with the decision to take Willian off with a half-hour to go Saturday, but Mourinho went on to say that was out of concern for the player's health, per Lewis:
In an unfamiliar state of disappointment, the Portuguese is currently under a pressure unlike any he's ever experienced in his career, a juncture at which many tacticians may feel the desire to resign.
Saturday's defeat came just four days after the Blues fell 2-1 at Porto in the Champions League and a week after drawing 2-2 at Newcastle United, who currently sit at the bottom of the English top flight.
The Blues now await the visit of Aston Villa on October 17, where anything but a win will only mount further pressure on not only the manager, but also possibly the club's boardroom to make a decision onMourinho's future.
Results may have changed, but one thing that remains is Mourinho's unique appeal in the media, providing more intriguing insight as to where the faults currently lie at Stamford Bridge.
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