Chelsea FC says they are giving their backing to manager Jose Mourinho, despite the Premier League champions’ poor run of form.
Mourinho’s team are four points above the relegation zone and ten points behind leaders Manchester City in 16th place after eight round of top flight matches.
A statement released on Monday said: “The club wants to make it clear that Jose continues to have our full support.
“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.”
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The Blues have won four of their 11 matches this season, suffering league defeats at the hands of City, Crystal Palace, Everton and most recently Southampton.
Speaking after Saturday’s 3-1 defeat by Southampton – their fourth at home in eight games – the 53-year-old admitted he is “having the worst period and worst results” of his career.
“To be champions now is very difficult because the distance (from league leaders) is considerable,” he added.
“But I am more than convinced that we will finish in the top four, and when the season is so bad if you finish in the top four it is OK.”
Chelsea’s start to the current campaign is their worst after eight games in top-flight football since the 1978-79 – those days when a win produced two points.
The west London outfit have conceded 17 goals and scored 12 times this season, 2 of those coming in last month’s clean-sheet victory over ten-man Arsenal.
Mourinho, however, insists confidence will be back in his side’s camp in only a matter of “time”.
“Time will bring it. I don’t know next match (at home to Aston Villa), in two matches, in three. For sure they will get that confidence back, for sure,” he added.
