Jose Mourinho: The sack? I'm not at all worried... Chelsea manager insists his side is playing well ahead of Liverpool clash

Just outside the main entrance to Chelsea's training complex on Friday there was an empty parking space in the bay marked exclusively for Jose Mourinho.

After their clash with Liverpool in the Barclays Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Saturday lunchtime, Chelsea's manager will hope that his sponsored Jaguar will still be welcome at Cobham.

It is time that Mourinho's team, who won the title only six months ago, slipped through the gears and moved back into the fast lane of English football again.
Jose Mourinho is under pressure after Chelsea's difficult start to the season ahead of facing Liverpool
Jose Mourinho is under pressure after
 Chelsea's difficult start to the season 
ahead of facing Liverpool
The Chelsea manager insists his side are playing well and that he is not worried about being sacked
The Chelsea manager insists his side are 
playing well and that he is not worried about
 being sacked
It is time that Mourinho's team, currently 15th in the league, made their way back up into the elite ranks again
It is time that Mourinho's team, currently 15th in 
the league, made their way back up into the elite
 ranks again

The Portuguese, along with his coaching staff, is in good spirits because there have been signs over the last few days — in team meetings, in the dressing room, out on the training pitches — that their Chelsea are coming back.

The big characters, those who took offence at the public and private criticism of their performances, are onside and ready to start winning football matches again. That is the plan, anyway.

Captain John Terry, along with last season's PFA Player of the Year Eden Hazard, midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic and their main goal threat Diego Costa, owe Mourinho a performance.
'Against Stoke we played very well and at half-time it should have been 4-0,' claimed Chelsea's manager. 'It wasn't a lack of confidence. The Stoke keeper made magnificent saves in the game.

'You feel more a lack of confidence when you don't want the ball, you don't want to play so you hide. In the last two matches it has been the opposite. We have played very well.'
On Friday a note was still pinned to the wall of the lecture theatre — 'TEAM MEETING: DO NOT ENTER' — long after the players had been out on the training pitches for their morning session.
Mourinho has the big personalities of his squad onside ahead of the clash, including his captain John Terry
Mourinho has the big personalities of his 
squad onside ahead of the clash, including 
his captain John Terry
Eden Hazard is another who is ready to work to help his manager ahead of a key game at Stamford Bridge
Eden Hazard is another who is ready to work
to help his manager ahead of a key game at 
Stamford Bridge
Cesc Fabregas is one of a number of Chelsea stars to have underperformed in their tough start to the season
Cesc Fabregas is one of a number of Chelsea stars
 to have underperformed in their tough start to the 
season

CHELSEA LACKING GOAL THREAT 

It doesn't look like Chelsea have had their shooting boots on this season. Their accuracy is among the worst in the league and their other key shot stats have been far from impressive.
Chelsea fans might fret about Saturday's clash with Liverpool being refereed by Mark Clattenburg — particularly since the controversy with John Mikel Obi. But it appears Mourinho and Clattenburg get on rather well...

CLATTENBURG'S CHELSEA GAMES
With Mourinho: Win 75%
In between his spells: Win 65%

It is there that Mourinho addressed his players again, urging them to start a run in the league so they can clamber up the table from their lowly position of 15th.
Away from the game, Mourinho's family has faced a bigger battle as his father has fought to recover from the brain haemorrhage he suffered on the day Chelsea played at Leicester last April.

Friday was the first time Mourinho has talked openly about his father, also called Jose, and he explained the seriousness of the condition, along with the huge steps he has taken in recent weeks to recover from surgery.
'My father is winning his fight and he's winning it in a very secure way,' revealed Mourinho. 'He went to levels nobody would expect — I think he's a bit of a fighter. In the last few months the evolution has been amazing. So if there is any consequence of that to me, it is positive.

'In this moment I don't go to Portugal any more. My wife (Matilde) does that for me. She couldn't believe how well he is, or how strong he is.
'The family is happy with his fantastic recovery. He had brain surgery the night we played Leicester and I only knew that night.
Mourinho talked openly about his father's recovery from a brain haemorrhage in his Friday press conference
Mourinho talked openly about his father's recovery
 from a brain haemorrhage in his Friday press conference
The Chelsea manager held a team meeting after training on Friday to rally his troops for the lunchtime kick-off
The Chelsea manager held a team meeting
 after training on Friday to rally his troops for the
lunchtime kick-off
Mourinho shares a laugh with Michael Emenalo at Cobham during Friday's pre-match training session
Mourinho shares a laugh with Michael Emenalo 
at Cobham during Friday's pre-match training session

'In the recovery period he had two strokes as a consequence of surgery and he went to levels where it was very doubtful and very difficult.
'The recovery in the last few months is good news, good news and good news. The doctors say it can be good news or bad news, but it's been good news for the last few months. He's almost ready to play!'

For a moment Mourinho forgot that he fell out with the media after some misguided tittle-tattle about his private life and a collision, shall we call it, with a kid filming him in a London street this month.
'I know what life is,' he added. 'I know that in the end, what matters is the family and my family is top.
Nobody has ever doubted Mourinho's commitment to the job, his professional edge and his determination
Nobody has ever doubted Mourinho's commitment to 
the job, his professional edge and his determination
The Portuguese coach made it clear that his father's condition had not affected his ability to manage
The Portuguese coach made it clear that his father's 
condition had not affected his ability to manage
Mourinho will not want to see his side slip
 further down the Premier League table this
weekend

'You think I go every day (to see my father)? I go during international weeks. You don't think I finish, go to Portugal today and come back tomorrow morning to play Liverpool?
'I never did that. The strength of the family is exactly that: to allow you, obviously your heart feels, but to allow you to focus on your job, your duties. We lead a normal life.'
Nobody has ever doubted Mourinho's commitment to the job, his professional edge and his determination to revive this club after their faltering start to the season.
He also made it clear that his father's condition has not affected his ability to manage the team and he appeared offended by the suggestion that it has affected him over the past few months.
Mourinho must ignore the pressure that he has been placed under by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich
Mourinho must ignore the pressure that he has been 
placed under by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich
The Blues' miserable start to the season has caused concerns but Abramovich have not sacked the boss
The Blues' miserable start to the season has caused 
concerns but Abramovich have not sacked the boss

Mourinho's sole aim is to start winning games again, to ignore the pressure that he has been placed under by owner Roman Abramovich after this miserable start to the defence of their title.

He added: 'I don't spend one second of my day thinking about it (the sack). I'm worried about the results.

'I'm worried about winning tomorrow, about qualifying for the next round of the Champions League.

'I am not worried about my job, my future, anything other than that.'

WE ASKED BOSSES: FANCY A SABBATICAL? 

Jose Mourinho

A break? Me? Nah, never. I didn't enjoy it (in 2007). I enjoyed it until December, that was fine. I went to Japan for (Hidetoshi) Nakata's testimonial, to Russia for Dmitri Alenichev's testimonial, then Christmas in Brazil, in the summer with my kids, but I was in trouble in January. I couldn't wait for my next job.

Slaven Bilic

I'm new here, of course, but I played here and I think it is really unnecessary to play at Christmas time and the beginning of the New Year. It is traditional and it is very good for the fans but I think that English football is suffering from that. Everybody — managers included — would benefit from a break.

Arsene Wenger

No. I just think you have no manager who doesn't go through difficult times, and that's where the clubs have to show faith. I am a great believer in the cohesion factor and in technical stability, and people who carry the values of the club from generation to generation. I'm a strong believer in that.

Mauricio Pochettino

Well, for me, it's too early (in my career) for that — to take a sabbatical year! The problem, as a head coach or a manager, is that you never know what will happen. You are so dependent on your results. Sometimes the club give you a year's sabbatical when you don't want it! My passion is to be in football, always. Personally, it's difficult to take any time off.

Roberto Martinez
When you're a manager, it's not a job, it's a way of living. It's a passion. It can be very demanding sometimes, but then when you are without it for two or three weeks, you are desperate to get back in. I don't see it as a case of having to take time out to refresh yourself. I hope I don't have to try it.

Manuel Pellegrini

No, I don't think you should. Everyone knows when he wants to work and when he doesn't, or if he wants to stop for one year.
It's not a solution for what is happening to one manager in this moment.

Kevin MacDonald

Nice idea but, deep down, a manager wouldn't want it. International breaks are a good chance to recharge but if you're struggling you're always thinking about the club. You are not fun be with. I don't think any manager would admit to being fatigued because in this country it is seen as a sign of weakness, even if it shouldn't be.

Steve McClaren

Managers are experienced enough, especially at this level, to know when to get the balance right between doing too much and too little, so I do not think a manager in the Premier League should get to that extent where he needs a sabbatical.

Watch the press interview below:


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