Chelsea Release Statement on Jose Mourinho's Future Amid Results Crisis

Chelsea released a statement on Monday backing manager Jose Mourinho to lead the club out of its current alarming slump. 

The release on their official website read:

"

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.

"

Chelsea are currently enduring a torrid start to the 2015-16 campaign, having lost four of their opening eight matches. They find themselves 10 points off the pace behind league leaders Manchester City in the title race.

Furthermore, although they're far from out of the Champions League, a group-stage defeat to Porto reinforced their current inability to compete at a level anything like last season.

On Saturday, Southampton came from behind to beat the Blues 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, inflicting a second home defeat of the campaign on Mourinho's side.

Mourinho was bullish after the match as he launched into a self-assertive rant and reiterated his desire to stay on as manager. According to BBC Sport, he told Sky Sports:

"

If the club want to sack me they have to sack me because I am not running away from my responsibilities or my team... 

It is a crucial moment in the history of this club. You know why? Because if they sack me they sack the best manager this club had.

"

Per the report, Mourinho also took time to blame refereeing decisions that went against his team on Saturday and in weeks past.

The season has been nothing short of a nightmare for the boss off the field as well. Mourinho caused huge controversy with his treatment of club doctor Eva Carneiro, after she attended to the injured Eden Hazard in the 2-2 draw with Swansea City. Carneiro has since departed Chelsea after a six-year spell with the club.

BBC Sport's Phil McNulty believes the statement is an ominous sign for the beleaguered manager:

The MailOnline's Mike Anstead focused on the final line of the statement, believing it to indicate the Blues' transfer plans—or lack thereof—in January:

Indeed, as the club's stance is that Mourinho already has the personnel to turn their fortunes around, significant investment in January seems an unlikely possibility.

However, the statement may not be the so-called "dreaded vote of confidence" it first appears. As the Daily Telegraph's Matt Law notes, Monday's development breaks new ground for the Blues under owner Roman Abramovich:

Given that the likes of Luiz Felipe Scolari, Carlo Ancelotti and Andre Villas-Boas received no such backing, it could indicate Mourinho will be given time to salvage their faltering campaign.

Despite his controversial nature and the team's abject performances, Mourinho's previous record both at Chelsea and elsewhere is remarkable, so he indeed deserves the chance to restore his side to the glory it tasted just last season.

However, it's still a worrying sign when a club resorts to such statements, so Mourinho needs to return to winning ways sooner rather than later, or the infamously trigger-happy owner Roman Abramovich could make another high-profile sacking.