Chelsea could sack Jose Mourinho whether or not they beat Porto this week to stay in the Champions League.
A victory over the Portuguese side will guarantee the ailing Premier League title holders a place in the knockout stages, which begin in February.
Whatever the result at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, however, it is unlikely to have any bearing on the club’s decision-making over Mourinho.
The Blues’ high command are increasingly concerned that there is no end in sight to the club’s horrendous domestic form, after Premier League rookies Bournemouth became the eighth team to beat them this season.
The west Londoners are now two points off the relegation places ahead of their trip next Monday to current league leaders Leicester — who are managed by the first Chelsea boss to be sacked by Roman Abramovich, Claudio Ranieri.
Although the Blues have defied the critics to keep faith with Mourinho, there is real concern that a £400million squad which lifted the title just seven months ago is still playing nowhere near its potential.
There is also a growing feeling that saving the club has now become a bigger priority than proving a
It leaves Abramovich with a tough decision to make, having sacked Mourinho once before but also after handing the Portuguese a new four-year deal only this summer.
Saturday’s conquerors Bournemouth, in their first-ever season in the Premier League, have scored more top flight goals so far with 18 compared to Chelsea’s 17.
No team with the Blues’ current tally of 15 points from 15 games has ever finished higher than EIGHTH since the inception of the Premier League.
And although this season’s competition remains wide open, club chiefs are worried that the team is showing no sign whatsoever of being able to buck the statistical trend.
Diego Costa and Eden Hazard have been a shadow of the influential players that drove Chelsea to the title last season.
The problem, however, is thought to be collective rather than individual.
There is also a view that the team is not playing well enough to get the best out of either Costa or Hazard.
Hazard has scored in each of his four appearances for Belgium this season but has not netted in 20 games for Chelsea.
Costa, an ineffective substitute against Bournemouth, has just four goals in his 21 appearances this season.
Mourinho has insisted he does not want to buy new players in January but it is understood that it was actually the board who made that decree, arguing that the current squad is more than good enough and should not be where they are in the table.
(The Mirrow)
