STOKE -- Jose Mourinho says he does not need any reassurances about his future as Chelsea manager after their troubled start to the season got worse with a Capital One Cup exit at Stoke.
Cup holders Chelsea, who had already lost seven of their first 15 matches of the campaign, lost 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
But Mourinho said he was relaxed, saying he could sleep easily at night and saying he had not sought out owner Roman Abramovich for clarification about his position.
The Portuguese, who received a public vote of confidence after the 3-1 defeat to Southampton, said in a news conference: "I don't need it. I don't need more [reassurances]."
There are suggestions Mourinho could be sacked if Chelsea lose to Liverpool on Saturday but he insisted he does not feel any pressure.
"My general situation is fantastic," he added. "I have a day off tomorrow [on Wednesday], I have a fantastic family, I can sleep well every night. And Thursday is one more day like I have in the last 15 years of my life."
Eden Hazard missed the crucial penalty in the shootout, when Jack Butland saved, but Mourinho said he did not hold the Belgian responsible.
"If I have to blame someone it is the ones who tell the manager 'I don't want to take it' and run away," he explained.
Mourinho pronounced himself delighted with his side's performance, explaining: "[There was] a lot of quality, a lot of attacking quality, a lot of attacking football and emotional control. Everything was good apart from the penalty shootout. I think in the first half it should be 3-0 or 4-0."
The 52-year-old railed at ex-players in the media who are questioning his team's efforts and their backing for him.
"Honestly, you think the players are not with me and didn't give everything to win the game?" he asked.
"That is really sad; not sad for me but sad for the players. That is a lack of respect to the players, not to me. For me it would be a fantastic situation if the players are against me, [because then] I can say we don't have results because the players are against me.
"I think what some people write and say is really bad for the players and because most of the people that does that, they were players. Maybe they think my players are like them when they were players."
Butland's heroic turn in the shootout capped what was a fine all-round display from the England goalkeeper, and impressed Stoke boss Mark Hughes.
"He made any number of saves," Hughes said. "He made a couple in the first half when Chelsea were probably the better team -- in the second half I think we edged it, with Jonathan Walters scoring a fantastic goal.
"I thought we had done enough in normal time to take the game away from them, and then there was great drama at the end. I'm just glad it has gone our way."