Spectre of Guardiola looms large as Mourinho limps on

The manager, who signed a new deal in February, has been told his position at Stamford Bridge is safe for now, but the club hierarchy are demanding Champions Leaugue qualification

From runaway champions to the worst title defence in the Premier League era in the space of six months. Where has it all gone wrong for Chelsea?

Jose Mourinho is at the lowest point of his career and hanging on to his job by a thread having suffered eight defeats already this season in all competitions.

Chelsea’s dismal start to the season leaves them 16th in the table with just 11 points from their first 12 league fixtures of the season.

The Blues are in their worst period since they were bought by Roman Abramovich in 2003 - and the Russian billionaire is known to be perplexed by the team’s implosion this season.

The board gave Mourinho an unprecedented vote of confidence in October and continue to back the Portuguese to turn the club’s form around.

Yet there is a sense behind the scenes that this owes more to the lack of alternatives mid-season and Abramovich’s concern about the financial implications of sacking a manager who signed a four-year contract in February.

Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone are lurking in the shadows as potential replacements next summer and Chelsea have told Mourinho that the club must qualify for next season’s Champions League.

That already looks a tall order with the west London club 13 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United and some deep-rooted problems in the squad that suggest Mourinho is unlikely to turn Chelsea around with the flick of a switch.

Goal revealed earlier this month that Mourinho has lost the support of several players in the dressing room due to his confrontational methods and treatment of certain players both in public and behind closed doors.

The likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Nemanja Matic are all unhappy and playing at only a fraction of the levels they all showed when Chelsea strolled to the title last season.

Mourinho has also angered the club with his constant public relations gaffes.

He has constantly looked to criticise officials and his anger towards referees eventually meant he was banned from the stadium in the defeat at Stoke in their last fixture.

The 52-year-old’s axing of club doctor Eva Carneiro and handling of the fallout was also unpopular with both the club’s hierarchy and many of the playing squad.

Ahead of Saturday’s match against Norwich, Chelsea sit just three points above the relegation zone having lost seven of their 12 league matches.

Three of those defeats have come at Stamford Bridge - once a fortress under Mourinho - and the slide of the team has been reflected in the performances of key individuals.

Last season’s player of the year Eden Hazard is yet to score in 17 appearances in all competitions; Cesc Fabregas has produced just one assist so far after he set up 19 goals last season; Diego Costa scored 20 times in the Premier League last term but has only netted twice so far this season.

In defence, the likes of Branislav Ivanovic and John Terry look well past their best and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been out with a knee injury.

It has compounded Mourinho’s frustration with the club’s business in the summer transfer window. He was angry with the decision to sell Petr Cech to Arsenal and even more frustrated with the club’s failure to land his leading targets such as John Stones and Paul Pogba.

Despite Chelsea’s awful form, Mourinho has still shown little appetite for turning towards an academy that has won four of the last six FA Youth Cups.

While youth prospects flourish at other clubs such as rivals Tottenham, Mourinho has handed just five starts to academy players in his five years in total managing at Stamford Bridge. Supporters have been calling for Ruben Loftus-Cheek to be handed a chance but the talented midfielder appears likely to seek a loan move in January.

Mourinho hopes he will be given the chance to make drastic changes to the squad either in the January transfer window or next summer if he can turn Chelsea’s season around and convince Abramovich he is the right man for the job.