Chippy

Funny thing when reading your post, I make you right on most of it and have mentioned a lot of it before but starting from the top all of it is fact and all of it (for me) mitigates the performances and takes any blame away from the manager, Then as it gets further on and the more media related parts that are more specifically Jose's own doing I find them either of little importance or having no proof of even being true... Losing To Arsenal, depressing at any time in any competition but losing in the charity shield is never a big pointer to league form (bar this time maybe) falling out with Eva, nobody knows the route cause of this and I must say I thought Jose behaved like a total dick on this occasion, didn't stop my belief that as a manager he was as good as there is but backed up my usual feeling that he's too self important for my liking as a person. Players supposedly coming up with a knickname for him? that surely happens at most clubs and seems pretty unimportant to me. Rats in the press conference, not sure but if some of the articles are true he wasn't far wrong, makes a change from bad eggs anyway. Public condemnation of players, again this can work both ways, had they came ot and played blinders it would have been great, because they didn't it's said that Jose doesn't know how to put his arm round an out of form player...again to me meaningless. Conspiracy theories, I feel he might have a point to an extent, mainly the media having it in for him and thats mainly because anything he does is big news, the constant which hunt of our players and manager on Sky etc is over the top and has caused the FA to act (again in my opinion) BT are the same and so are most newspapers, there are always calls for retro action against Cost etc and always silly questions to Jose to make him say something the FA will punish him for. So as I say I agree with all you've said but I still feel though as you say it amounts to a clusterf**k, it also shows a few reasons why we should give him time and backing to straighten it out.

CFC-RFC_TID I understand people with gripes about performances and you feeling Levene has Chelseas best interests at heart, he may well believe the best thing is for him to go but that doesn't stop me having the opposite opinion and believing that a dodgy three months after all he's done should show that it's more a player form/fitness problem than a managerial one. I'm not hanging anyone out to dry for what they believe but I will always be happy to put my opinion across in the belief that they are wrong. It's depressing to see over and over people believing the bad articles, tweets and rumours that are against Jose and very little to counter the argument. I wouldn't be revelling in it as you say if UTD were having it rough, I doubt I'd give it too much thought but if I did and there manager was Mourinho I would be hoping he was sacked because I'd believe it was going to weaken them.

The only thing that sticks in my craw is that some people are happy to find our best ever manager about to be out on his ear.

You're right...you really upset me there.

Maybe if I sling up a couple of quotes of the gospel by Levene it will be better for you?

Hold on, by that thinking we might be on an earner...the club can sue all the players bar William Bogovic and Azpilicueta.

I'll roll over and believe Roman has lost patience again after being around the club so long when the club announce it and not before. Until then Jose is our manager and I'll be expecting him to still be that Sunday morning.

Just read this on something called the Chelsea blog, a few good points in my opinion but worth a read anyway. Player petulance or board stupidity In 2007, it was player power that saw the end of Jose Mourinho’s first spell in charge at Chelsea, fast forward 8 years and history looks to be repeating itself at Stamford Bridge. Just as it did in 2007 with Mourinho, in 2009 with Luiz Felipe Scolari and in 2012 with Andres Villas Boas, the Chelsea players’ abysmal form is putting the manager under ever increasing pressure. It’s not rocket science is it? Chelsea go through managers in much the same way Elizabeth Taylor went through husbands – deliriously happy in the early days believing this would be ‘the one’ until the inevitable, acrimonious, public breakdowns and the just as public search for a new suitor. The use of Liz Taylor’s marriages isn’t even as ridiculous as it might seem either because in today’s world, just as in football, no-one has the patience to work through stuff. In fact, in a world where consumerism rules, spoilt brat syndrome is rife. We want everything and want it now – to hell with the cost. If it’s not working, get rid of it and get another one. In fact, even if it is working but just happens to be showing the first signs of wear and tear, replace it. Evidently it matters not whether that’s a toaster or a PS3, a spouse or a Premier League manager. We’ll berate players who kiss the badge right before they hand in transfer requests because they clearly lack the loyalty we expect, whilst in the next breath wanting rid of players who wear the Chelsea shirt because they’re not consistently performing as we’d like them to, and that just about sums up the lack of tolerance that’s all too commonplace now. One thing we should be clear about though, is that whoever might happen to be managing or playing for us, Chelsea don’t have a divine right to win anything. Whatever me might win has to be earned. Unfortunately, right now our players would struggle to justify earning minimum wage let alone the shiny stuff and that’s where player power could be throwing a spanner in the works. Whilst back in April, Jose Mourinho might have been insisting “Chelsea leadership is my leadership. For good and for bad. It’s not the players’ leadership”, rumour has it an as yet unnamed player has suggested he’d rather lose than win for the current Chelsea boss. Almost unthinkable really, yet sadly not altogether unbelievable given Claude Makelele’s previous allegations of the tiff between Mourinho and John Terry being at the bottom of Jose’s last departure. Our form was decidedly suspect at the time and Makelele’s autobiography suggests Roman Abramovich stood by the players. Another former player, who recalls where it all went wrong with Scolari, seems to back up this theory, saying “some players, if they had a problem with the coach, didn’t speak with him but instead communicated directly with the directors. That isn’t good for a team.” Same for Villas Boas because whilst it was our players looking about as enamoured under him as they’d be under a dentist with halitosis, their poor performances saw him out the door as well. Now here we are, just months after winning a title and the same players who won it, quite frankly don’t look like they could win an argument. As a supporter of many years, as much as I try to keep the faith, I have to admit to feeling almost resigned to losing every week now – and why wouldn’t I? Cesc Fabregas has been on the missing list since Christmas, Nemanja Matic’s form is as deadly in its absence as it was in its presence, Diego Costa is going for the club’s record time suspended in a single season and having carried us for the best part of half a season in the last campaign, Eden Hazard seems to be awaiting the return of that favour now. Even the Chelsea captain is looking like a player who held his retirement party in the summer and forgot to tell us. So Oscar and Ramires can say what they like about the players trying to help the boss out as much as they can because in truth, the way they’re playing, the only thing they’ll be helping him to is yet another pay-off from the Chelsea board. Is player power rearing its head again at Chelsea though? Well if the rumours about a) player(s) not wanting to get results for Jose and b) Roman lining up Carlo Ancelotti (again) are true, then it looks likely the Chelsea owner has learnt absolutely nothing from past mistakes. As Liz would tell us, the rule of thumb with relationships is that they almost never work second time around – the reasons they broke down in the first place will still be there except they’ll have turned from festering sores to old wounds that don’t ever truly heal. They leave scars as a constant reminder of how fragile the union really is and it doesn’t take much to open them up again. Either way though, the bottom line here is that if the Chelsea board genuinely believe that getting rid of our most successful manager ever (again) is in the best interests of the club and its supporters, particularly on the say so of petulant players, then you’d have to think it’s not the players or the endless stream of managers with the real problem here after all.

Like you, I'm convinced we'd be better off if we had cloned Azpilicueta, sad thing is the medical team isn't quite that advanced as yet.

I find the thing with Journalists and the deciding factor as to if you put any stock on what they say is usually the same...people will believe what suits them and what they want to believe. I call Bullsh*t on all of it unless the quotes have the sources names and then and only then does my contempt lesson to scepticism.

It's laughable how people can read the media garbage and form any opinions based on it, read this article and see if you can find the a problem with the idea. From the Star by the way Eden Hazard contacted by Real Madrid and offered escape from Jose Mourinho nightmare CHELSEA star Eden Hazard has reportedly been in touch with Real Madrid over a possible move to the Spanish giants. By James Walters / Published 1st November 2015 Real Madrid are aware that Hazard is unhappy at Chelsea and it is believed they will up their pursuit in January, according to Don Balon. The Belgian has been one of Chelsea’s best players over recent years, but for the start of this season, Hazard has seemed disinterested. The 24-year-old was dropped last month in Chelsea’s clash with Aston Villa and the playmaker’s relationship with Mourinho is believed to be under immense strain. GETTY WANTED: Hazard could be on his way to Real Madrid And Real Madrid’s pursuit doesn’t just stop at Hazard. “The club are looking at Hazard and as far as I know, he has not said no. We will wait and see” Ramon Calderon, Real Madrid president The Spanish giants are also interested in bringing Mourinho back to the club, especially if Chelsea sack the Portuguese in the near future. Ramon Calderon, the Real Madrid president, said: “If Mourinho is not anymore in Chelsea, I think Perez would be really willing to bring him back to Real Madrid,” said Calderon talking to beIN Sports. “The club are looking at Hazard and as far as I know, he has not said no. We will wait and see.”

High quality players out of form are no more use than mediocre quality players playing well, untill at least the big players find a bit of form it will be a struggle, we're not as good a squad as "on paper" tells it. Costa is having a hard time and his frustration is clear, that's our main striker...where do the goals come from with our main striker and our player of last season both out of form, a bit hard on Costa maybe as the service is not really there, Fabregas has had an awful season and has struggled in the pivot and in the number ten spot, that can't help Costa who thrived on the passes Cesc picks out when on his game. Defence wise obviously JT is a year older and although the only real leader (a seperate problem that needs dealing with) he really isn't the player he was, in fact lets look at our back four choices,it seems we have one quality player in that back four, Zouma is hopefully a future top player but not there yet, Cahill a fairly solid and decent player but needs quality next to him, Ivan is struggling and appears to have lost a bit of pace. I could go through the team examining the merits or not of calling it the second best squad in the EPL but for me if Hazard isn't on his game, Fabregas isn't really good enough at present to be a starter, Costa is not right be it form or lack of service from the others mentioned (plus defenders not needing to treble up on Hazard as they sometimes need to) and we have lost two of the best keepers in the league then I don't think our squad is anywhere near the second best. Even Matic is off it and I at first put it down to the work he has to do playing beside Cesc but even with help he hasn't bee right. It's a mystery how so many are under performing but I maintain my belief that the reason is no more than form and sharpness issues that have left the players making mistakes that the lack of confidence that comes with bad form brings.

I said before that to look at Jose's last three months as a measure as his worth is more "blind" than looking at what he's done everywhere he has been or even just with us. His career shows how good he is and the last three months show that even the best can struggle at times, nothing whatsoever points to the likelihood of a change of manager bringing this group of players back to top form quicker than Jose, nobody can snap their fingers and bring the best form back to players that have faded, I trust Mourinho to work with them and help them find their top form again. Most of the players love him, I can state that as a fact as easily as other people can state that they don't...I don't care either way and don't think it matters as much as if they are professional enough to do their Jobs, if they aren't, thats a problem with the players not the manager.

Very good back up keeper, I don't think he commands the box very well and with a below par team the experience and presence of Cech would have been points on the table for us without any doubt in my mind. I'm not convinced Tibo is quite as vocal with the defence as Petr used to be but the sooner he's fit the better (again no slant on Begovic who is a s good a number two as we could expect)

I understand what you're saying but imagine another Europa victory with another Interim? I don't think I could stomach it, I'd much prefer to have Jose at the helm next season even if that meant we went out in the knockout stages and missed out on CL next year. I very much doubt that if we went out in the groups we'd win the Europa as I think if Mourinho is sacked (which an early CL exit may mean) the next man in will struggle, unlike when the FSW came in as we had a much tougher spine to the team then.

Sadly I think it's more important than that, I think we need to get through the group stages as if Roman is to have a rush of blood to his trigger finger it's most likely to be as a result of an early exit in the CL.

I'm confused if you are arguing the point or agreeing with it? The question you're asking is one I'd like the Sky, the media in general or FA to answer, and I'd ask why other managers can verbally attack referees decisions that have gone against them, why some can even shove other managers in the technical area and not only is it hardly covered in the media but there is never any action taken.

I'll just answer your questions under the quote to the best of my ability and belief... Why may I ask, are the F.A. only picking on Chelsea.? In my opinion the media highlighting every thing Mourinho says, just waiting for decisions against us desperate to ask Jose about them and play them back on Sky or in the headlines over and over, watching Costa like he was some sort of monster and pointing the finger at him even when defenders are openly winding him up...look at the city game when Richards chested him when he was on his knees...no different to what he done in the Arsenal game but deemed as his fault, look at the reactions on BT Sport yesterday. Can you also tell me as Jose is one of Europe's best managers, period, why he cannot get us out of the predicament we are now in. ? Easier one this...He can, and I think he will.

Nobody is trying to say everything Jose does is right, what I'd say is he on average gets it right a lot more often than most. I believe the dodgy pre season did set us back and I believe the players brought in were/ are not good enough and more likely squad additions for the sake of bodies than real Jose targets, that's my opinion and not quite up there on the interest stakes as player revolts and Jose's impending nervous breakdown.

Did you miss the bit just before that which you bolded? you're fully entitled to believe the players, a player don't want to win for Jose...Jose has lost the plot or the dressing room or both, Jose is a bad manager, anything that sits better for you than the likely bad form, dodgy preseason and lack of recruitment...those things are much less newsworthy.

"Rather lose than win for Jose" If there was such a player (and I don't believe there is) I would imagine if he is thinking on those terms and has mentioned it to team mates, he'd be slaughtered and told what a prick he is, if he hasn't told team mates I'd imagine they'd pick up on it and tell him to get his act together. If he trains with the same attitude, Jose would pick up on it and he'd never get on the pitch. Why if any of my likely situations above are true (which obviously people are free to doubt) are the whole team under par? Because in my opinion we had a bad pre season, the players fitness has suffered and the board took for granted that as champions we could carry on without much in the way of recruitment, a wake up call to the players and board has been our poor showing up to now and the form of some of the players is making it hard to turn it round. Put yourselves in a Chelsea players position and think how you'd feel with last years champions medal on your mantle piece, earning top top money under a world renowned coach if one of your team mates came out with the statement or a statement like has been rumoured...I'd tell him to go and say that to the manager and not to think about putting on the shirt and undermining what the rest of the boys are trying to do or I'd go and tell him myself. Imagine running your legs off like say Willian, only to hear a comment like that...it wouldn't happen in a school team.

Do people really think Jose wears the same face for training as he does for media interviews? When he comes out with things like "it's impossible for them to win" do you really imagine that's his battle cry in training? do you think he stands on the touchline and issues the nearest player to him some new instructions after a bad referee's decision to give up as they can't win? Can some people not see that this is a message to the media and FA that he might get fined and banned from the touchline for speaking out but he will never sit quietly knowing his team are treated differently to others. I admire him for not backing down, he see's other managers every week getting away with slating Refs for decisions that go against them and as soon as he says something, he's hauled before the FA, he knows the media have an agenda and he only gives them things that they have to pick the bones out of and give their idea of what he means. Look at the way BT sport went on and on about Costa's little kick out yesterday, the same with his two stamps last season where his foot barely rested on the player, Jose knows the media have an impact on what the FA do and he's rightly sick of it. In training though he likely uses it as a motivator and not as a reason to give up on a game. One day in the not too distant future, here hopefully or somewhere else if the worst happens and the media and opposition fans get their way Jose will be on top of the world again and all this bullsh*t about him losing the plot, the dressing room or being a two season wonder will be forgotten. I hope it's with us or I can see some very harsh comparisons with the bloke trying to do the job that replaces him.

Relegation...I don't think so. I have fears, realistic fears that we are going to struggle to finish top seven or so but really for me the better results will come sooner rather than later, I can't see so many players form staying so low for too much longer. A CL place is almost out of the question but at risk of the faithless accusing me of burying my head in the sand I'd say relegation is about as likely as retaining the title.

I still wouldn't be too convinced Hazard doesn't want to play for Chelsea/Jose, watching his body language in the Stoke game (I'm no expert) I thought he was trying as hard as anyone else, I also thought he looked a lot slower than last season, I used to think he went from static to top speed faster over a short distance than any player I could think of...I see defenders read him now and accelerate with him. That is going to get to him and I don't think he's as fit as he should be, hopefully he'll sharpen up but what also occurred to me was the penalty miss in the cup game, he was so nervous he changed his style, he blasted it instead of his usual casual confident style, you don't get that nervous if you're not bothered about doing your best for team or manager. As I said before, bad form, lack of fitness/sharpness are much less media friendly reasons for a bad run of form, reading articles online and newspapers will gradually stick little bits of non information in peoples heads and unsettle the fans which if the media have their way will unsettle the team and the owner, the outcome will sell them a few more papers until the vicious circle starts again. Fabregas is another example, if as has been said, he doesn't like having the defensive duties associated with his role in the pivot, why when he plays further forward is he still as woeful? could it be as simple as bad form? much better to say he's had a fall out with the manager or the dressing room is split or he needs counseling as Eva has gone. I'll just keep things simple and when a player or players play badly I'll put it down to form or fitness issues, I refuse to believe the only two players we have who are with Jose are Willian and Azpilicueta, I don't think Football is really such a soap opera. If there are players disagreeing with Jose's words to the press, his stupid tantrum with Eva, his tactics or his methods I'm pretty sure playing for the best team in London, with a proven winning manager, as Champions and on massive wages would be enough for them to bite their lips and get their heads down. Lets hope the owner does the same and we ride this out together.

Whiner sport can't even edit their own comic, they say "after the 1-3 lose to Liverpool"...I ask you who are these Journo's and where did they get their lack of education?