How Big a Priority Should the Capital One Cup Be for Chelsea?

We all thought Chelsea would have bigger priorities than the Capital One Cup this season.

Well, that's changed.

Suddenly, the first trophy Jose Mourinho's men won last term is a very big deal. Right now, such is their plight, Chelsea can't be writing off any competition, which means they need a win when they travel to Stoke City on Tuesday.

Anything less and the unthinkable could happen at Stamford Bridge.

We're hearing all sorts coming out of west London. According to the Daily Mail, Mourinho could lose his job before the match against Liverpool on Saturday if there's no sign of an improvement in the team.

And even that might not be enough to save him.

It all comes on the back of five defeats in 10 Premier League games that have left Chelsea languishing in the bottom half of the table.

The latest loss came against West Ham United—a defeat that was laced with controversy.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Not only did the reigning champions surrender three points, the game ended with Nemanja Matic, assistant coach Silvino Louro and Mourinho himself receiving their marching orders.

The fallout since has been toxic. Mourinho and his players need to change the conversation to avoid this season getting any worse. Fast.

That starts at the Britannia Stadium, where Mark Hughes and his team appear to be raring to get at Chelsea.

Speaking after watching his team also suffer defeat on Saturday, to Watford, Hughes seemed to be licking his lips at the prospect of Mourinho's team coming to town.

"The good thing is that we have a big game on Tuesday against Chelsea, and that is the perfect game for us. We can get back on track. We’ll be better on Tuesday," said the Stoke boss, per the Guardian.

It's not often managers get excited about playing a team of champions after a loss against a newly promoted side.

Indeed, it's a rare thing when managers describe playing Chelsea as a "perfect game."

But that's where the Blues are at. Teams want to punish them and prolong this period of misery that has enveloped Stamford Bridge.

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

So how a big a priority should the Capital One Cup be for Chelsea? A massive one.

When they travel to Stoke, Chelsea must approach the game in the same way they would were it in the Premier League.

There's no time for hiding now; it isn't a time for resting players with Liverpool in mind.

Mourinho needs to go out guns blazing and do everything to remedy this slump. Chelsea need to build their confidence, and it will only come with a run of form that sees them climb the table and extend their cup run.

For all the politics that surround Chelsea, it's only through winning games that things will turn around.

Looking at the bigger picture, it's vital Mourinho and this team continue to win trophies. Last season's success in the Capital One Cup was supposed to be start of a new era of dominance for this team, but since winning the league, they have been stripped bare and look vulnerable.

Already 11 points behind league leaders Manchester City, the hopes of retaining the title seem to be long gone. In the cups, though, the ambitions remain realistic.

Chelsea must ensure they're in the final on February 28. It will go some way to salvaging what's been a disastrous campaign, but moreover, it'll maintain that important habit of lifting trophies.

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

For too long, Arsene Wenger was content to write off the League Cup at Arsenal. After years of watching the biggest trophies pass him by, the Gunners boss was suddenly left with a group of players that had won little in their careers.

That culture of being the nearly men spread throughout the Emirates Stadium and still carries influence today, with FA Cup glories in the past two seasons marking significant moments for Arsenal.

As a club, Chelsea have set their stall out with a much more ruthless tone. Winning is everything to owner Roman Abramovich, which is why Mourinho is faced with the prospect of losing his job so soon after winning a third Premier League title for Chelsea.

With that comes the demand to win again this season, meaning Mourinho needs to deliver another day out at Wembley for his owner.

Given how poor things have gone for Chelsea, the Capital One Cup offers another reprieve. It's a route into Europe.

Should their poor league form continue, Chelsea could be faced with the very real prospect of missing out on Europe altogether next term, so they must qualify by any means possible.

It's a damning indictment that it's come this far for Chelsea, the Premier League champions. It's their reality, though, and they need to deal with it.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes