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Jose Mourinho facing a massive eight days that will decide his Chelsea future

The next eight days could seal Jose Mourinho's fate

Tom Sheen
Tuesday 27 October 2015 15:47 GMT
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Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho faces one of the biggest weeks in his long and hugely successful managerial career.

By Guy Fawkes Night, Mourinho's second stint at Stamford Bridge may have been blown up by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. Between now and then Mourinho faces three crucial matches that could decide Chelsea's season and the fate of the Portuguese.

The Blues are, just about, still in contention in all three cup competitions and although defending their Premier League title is almost definitely out of their grasp, not many are betting agaisnt them from being in the Champions League places come the end of the season.

But the whole landscape may change next week, with Chelsea facing crucial matches in the Capital One Cup, Premier League and Champions League.

Tonight - Stoke City (a) - Capital One Cup

With Nemanja Matic suspended and both Loic Remy and Pedro expected to miss the game as they're still injured, it will be tough for Jose Mourinho to really rotate his first-team, despite the need to have them at 100 per cent at the weekend.

The League Cup has been one of Jose Mourinho's favourite competitions in the past, he has won it three times in two spells at Chelsea - if the Portuguese is to last beyond this season, silverware will be what saves him.

In the previous round against Walsall, Mourinho made a number of changes, with the likes of Kenedy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Baba Rahman and Radamel Falcao making rare starts.

However, due to the must-win nature of this match, Mourinho will likely be forced into playing the Eden Hazard and Diego Costa.

Stoke had won four matches in a row before a poor defeat at home to Watford at the weekend, but the Potters are the kind of club who should be taking this competition seriously.

They have only one major trophy in their 152-year history, although they did reach the final of the FA Cup in 2011, while manager Mark Hughes, despite his impressive reputation, has never won a trophy as a manager.

The Britannia Stadium used to be a fortress but the club have lost that somewhat this season, with Stoke winning just one of their five home matches this season.

A win will not be easy and it will not be a complete disaster if Chelsea are knocked out of the but Mourinho will know a negative result will only add to the mounting pressure.

Saturday - Liverpool (h) - Premier League

There are plenty of reports surfacing that state that Mourinho will be sacked if he doesn't beat the Blues' rival.

They may not be as clear cut as it sounds, with a massive compensation package and no obvious replacement two caveats before Roman Abramovich pulls the trigger but it is mightily important that the Blues beat the Reds.

Three games into his tenure as manager of Liverpool and the Jurgen Klopp era has started with a dull thud rather than a bang. Three draws and two goals scored is hardly what the club's support was expecting when they made up their banners bearing his name.

But the optimism around the club will come flooding back to the Anfield faithful if they can win at Stamford Bridge.

One would expect Pedro to be back for this match, while Nemanja Matic will have served his suspension. Either of those coming back into the first-team will represent a major decision by Mourinho.

Matic was improving before his utterly stupid red card at West Ham and bringing him back into the side may send the wrong signal to the rest of the squad.

Pedro has only impressed in small spells since his arrival from Barcelona, but to play him would mean dropping either Hazard or Willian, who has been Chelsea's best player this season, or playing Fabregas in a deeper role, where he can be overwhelmed defensively by the best.

A trio of Willian, Hazard and Pedro behind Diego Costa is the most threatening attack Chelsea can muster, but it has left them exposed at times this season, especially with Fabregas in that role alongside Matic.

Wednesday - Dynamo Kiev (h) - Champions League

Since Roman Abramovich arrived at the club these have been the type of games that have usually been simple for Chelsea.

Only once since the 2008-09 season have Chelsea failed to top that group, in 2012-13 when Rafa Benitez came in for Roberto Di Matteo and the club went onto win the Europa League.

Chelsea played arguably their best football of the season in Ukraine and were unlucky to come away with only a goalless draw - Chelsea hit the post and the bar, while Cesc Fabregas should have had a penalty after he was brought down.

However, anything but a win will seriously put pressure on Mourinho's position as manager of the club. The Champions League has always been Abramovic's main passion and anything but an appearance in the knockout stages is considered a failure.

A draw would leave Chelsea with five points and although they would still be exepcted to qualify from the group, with Porto still to come to Stamford Bridge and a trip to group minnows Maccabi Tel Aviv, anything but a victory would mean the final two games taking on even more importance.

With every Premier League game now a must-win, anything to release the pressure in the cup competitions would be a welcome relief.

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