Mourinho watches action at Wimbledon. PHOTO/File
LONDON, October 31 – Under-pressure Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insisted that he did not fear for his job after his side’s wretched season continued with a 3-1 home defeat by Liverpool on Saturday.
Philippe Coutinho scored twice and Christian Benteke was also on target at Stamford Bridge as Liverpool condemned the misfiring Premier League champions to their sixth defeat of a torrid campaign.
Mourinho’s position has come under intense scrutiny on account of his team’s desperate form, with some reports suggesting he is close to being sacked, and Liverpool’s supporters goaded him with chants of: “You’re getting sacked in the morning!”
But when asked if he thought he had presided over the last game of his second stint at Chelsea, he replied: “No, I don’t.”
He also replied in the affirmative when asked if he thought he would be given time to turn the situation around by owner Roman Abramovich.
Returning to a well-worn theme, Mourinho suggested that his team had been the victims of poor refereeing decisions, but said that he would be “punished by the FA” for speaking his mind.
Mourinho was fined £50,000 ($76,560, 69,370 euros) and given a suspended one-game stadium ban by the FA earlier this month for criticising the referee following his side’s 3-1 home defeat by Southampton.
He is also facing a misconduct charge after being sent to the stands during last weekend’s 2-1 loss at West Ham United.
The 52-year-old was aggrieved that Coutinho’s first goal, which cancelled out Ramires’s fourth-minute opener, had been scored after the scheduled two minutes of first-half stoppage time had elapsed and that Lucas Leiva had avoided a second yellow card for a trip on Ramires.
“There are things that are out of our hands,” he said.
“Two minutes extra time, we concede the goal on two minutes 35 seconds and then what happened in the second half.
“Everything is a consequence of some crucial moments, moments that the stadium saw. The players more than see, the players feel it. From now what happens is just a consequence.”
He added: “We see it match after match that as professionals, they’re not getting the respect that they deserve.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp conceded that Lucas may have been fortunate to avoid a second yellow card for felling Ramires.
I’m not sure it was a foul,” said the German, who recorded his first league win as Liverpool manager.
“If you want to win at Chelsea, you need a little bit of luck. Maybe in this situation we had a little bit of luck.
“I’m not sure, but if you tell me that it was a clear foul and 100 percent yellow card, yeah. That’s football.”
