Chelsea release statement backing Jose Mourinho - but results 'have not been good enough'

Chelsea have backed the Portuguese manager despite a poor start to the season

(Reuters)

Chelsea have released a statement backing Jose Mourinho to turn around the club's awful start to the season.

The Blues have lost four of their opening eight matches in the Premier League this season, and have just eight points so far after a shock defeat to Southampton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

In a lengthy interview aftet the 3-1 defeat, Jose Mourinho said the club would be "wrong" to sack him, with the club releasing a statement that they agree - although admit that results and performances "must improve".

"The club wants to make it clear that Jose continues to have our full support," read a statement on the club website.

"As Jose has said himself, results have not been good enough and the team's performances must improve. However, we believe that we have the right manager to turn this season around and that he has the squad with which to do it."

After the shock defeat to Southampton, Mourinho told the club hierachy, as part of a seven minute rant, that he was still the best man to lead the club - and that he would not be shirking responsibility.

"...if the club wants to sack me, they have to sack me because I'm not running away from my responsibility and my team," he told Sky Sports. "To be champions will obviously be very, very difficult because the distance is considerable, but I am more than convinced that we will finish in the top four. And, when the season is so bad, if you finish top four, it is ok.

"...even more important than the first and the second, I think this is a crucial moment in the history of this club. Do you know why? Because if the club sacks me, they sack the best manager that this club has, and secondly, the message is again: bad results and the manager is guilty."

After Dick Advocaat resigned from Sunderland and Liverpool sacked Brendan Rodgers, Mourinho is now the bookies' favourite to be the next Premier League manager out of his job, only five months after leading the Blues to their first title since 2010.

Mourinho later added that he would only resign if his players turned against him, but despite some reports, club captain John Terry - a player who has shouldered a huge portion of the blame for poor performances this season - also insisted that the players are still loyal to Mourinho.

"People can say what they want," said Mourinho. "You should really ask the players and not go with sources and fake sources, and the players told a friend, and the friend told the agent, and the agent is not happy with me because I don’t play his player.

"You should go straight to the players. Get our media office to arrange a table at Cobham [Chelsea’s training ground] next week. John Terry doesn’t go to the national team, Diego Costa doesn’t go, Ramires doesn’t go. Ask them.

"If they tell you they don’t trust me, [that] is the only thing that can make me resign. The only thing. But not fake sources. The players at the table, face to face."

Terry spoke to the club website to discuss how the players are feeling about the manager

"We have a big group of players and we have the best manager who we remain behind and we remain together," Terry said.

"That is what you do in tough circumstances. I have been here a long time and I have seen managers come and go and if anyone is going to get us out of this hole it is going to be Jose Mourinho.

"And the players will remain together and fight, and keep fighting for the supporters because they were excellent on Saturday."