Mourinho is on the brink, but Abramovich must keep faith

The stats make for grim reading, but Jose Mourinho has earned the right to try and fix Chelsea's horrendous malaise.

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Make no mistake, this isn't just a slow start.

It's November, and Chelsea have lost four of their past five Premier League games, and seven in total. The reigning champions sit 16th on the table, and hover only three points above the relegation zone.

The international break is football's killing season - a chance to fire a manager with enough time to appoint a replacement and for the new man to get his feet under the table. 

Roman Abramovich must be getting twitchy, and many a Chelsea manager has been shown the door for less than this.

This is a man who fired Carlo Ancelotti a season after winning a Premier League and FA Cup double, and who relieved club legend Roberto Di Matteo of his duties only eight months after winning the holy grail of club football, the UEFA Champions League.

Claudio Ranieri (isn't he doing well these days!), Mourinho the first time, Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari and Andre Villas Boas have all been punted too, while Guus Hiddink and Rafa Benitez were interim appointments to steady the ship. 

However this is not a side which has downed tools and stopped playing for the manager.

Chelsea were largely excellent against Stoke City. Eden Hazard was vibrant, John Terry rock solid. On another day (or in another season) it could have been very different.

Were it not for Pedro hitting the post, or Hazard's shot deflecting wide, or Loic Remy deciding to stay on his feet when a penalty was on a plate, Chelsea could have well and truly found themselves back on track, especially after their midweek win against Dymano Kiev. 

Mourinho also, crucially, retains the support of the fans.

Abramovich can't have forgotten the debacle after he sacked Di Matteo. In the 16th minute of each game (Di Matteo wore number 16 as a Chelsea player) the fans stood, sung his name, and made it very clear how they felt about the shocking treatment of a club legend.

They called Benitez, their own manager, a "fat Spanish waiter", and his UEFA Europa League success couldn't convince Abramovich it was a good idea to keep him on. Especially when Mourinho became available.

Imagine the scenes at Stamford Bridge if Mourinho was to go, after the fans' recent show of support. It would be toxic.

Of course, Chelsea have serious issues. Diego Costa isn't scoring. Cesc Fabregas isn't creating. Nemanja Matic, a picture of hulking mobility in midfield last season, has been horrendous, a lumbering, cumbersome shadow of his former self.

The defence, shorn of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, has leaked goals for fun while the dressing room is devoid of senior figures. This shouldn't be underestimated.

Last year, Terry, Didier Drogba and Petr Cech led the side, Mourinho's right-hand men. Drogba and Cech didn't play much, but their influence was writ large.

Even when Chelsea were changing managers quicker than Christmas decorations, those three, plus Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard, had the fortitude to drive the team on in virtual caretaker mode. How else do you think Chelsea fought on to the UEFA Champions League Final under Grant in 2008, and Di Matteo in 2012? 

Oftentimes this season, Terry has looked a lonely figure, single handedly trying to inspire his troops, only to look shattered at the final whistle. 

But Mourinho, however, is the man to fix this.

The Portuguese has won the league title in Portugal (twice), England (three times), Italy (twice) and Spain (once). He has won the UEFA Champions League with FC Porto and Inter Milan, as well as a litany of domestic cups (11 in total).

Never in his glittering managerial career has he had to fight his way out of a situation like this. For a serial winner like Mourinho, the shock must be intense, and the threat of the axe very, very real.

There has been talk of changing the club's culture, after going through eight managers in the 11 seasons before this. A search for stability, and a desire for long term planning. This is the chance to prove it.

Abramovich knows if he lets Mourinho go, there will be no going back. He knows he would be letting go of the best manager Chelsea has ever seen. He probably would have pulled the trigger by now otherwise.

But he mustn't. The show must go on, and Mourinho has earned the right to turn things around.  

Follow @MattConnellan