Football
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Chelsea players fully behind Jose Mourinho - John Obi Mikel

John Obi Mikel says the Chelsea players remain convinced Jose Mourinho is the ideal manager for the club.

Mourinho has endured a dismal start to the season, with the Premier League champions currently 15th, with 11 points from 11 games, after Saturday's 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool.

Sources have told ESPN FC that Mourinho has two games to save his job, and that former Blues coach Carlo Ancelotti would be interested in taking over even on a temporary basis if the Portuguese is dismissed.

There have been questions about some players' commitment, and the presenter of BBC Radio 5 Live's "Sportsweek" programme reported at the weekend that he had been told that one first-team Chelsea player had recently said: "I'd rather lose than win for him." 

However, Mikel -- who started both the Capital One Cup loss to Stoke and the Liverpool defeat -- said the players retain full support for the former Inter Milan and Real Madrid boss.

"We are right behind the manager," he told reporters. "There's no doubt about it. In training we work very hard. If anyone can turn this around, we definitely think he's the one.

"Last year we were champions. We won two trophies. Jose knows this club more than any other manager. He's the most successful manager in the club's history.

"I definitely think that, if anything is wrong, if anything can be fixed, he is the one. There's no one out there that is going to come in and fix what's going on.

"If you tell the team that we are not giving 100 percent then there is the doubt, but we are giving 100 percent, we are playing for the manager, we are right behind him.

"He has come out a few times and said the players are not giving 100 percent and then you look at the next few games, the players come out and play better. He is doing everything that needs to be done.

"It's just that right now things aren't going well, so everyone [outside] wants him to go. I don't think it's the right way to go. I think that inside that dressing room we definitely believe he is the man to change things. He knows this club in and out.

"He knows what's wrong and it's just a matter of time before results start coming. We are playing well, we are working very hard in training. It's just the results aren't coming."

Oscar and Ramires also said the players are fighting to help Mourinho improve results.

"Everybody tries to help him but the situation is not good for Jose and for the players and the fans but, for Chelsea, we need to start winning again," Oscar said on the club's official website. 

Ramires, who scored the opening goal against Liverpool, added: "We try to help him on the pitch. We couldn't help him on Saturday but we will try every match to win because this is a group and a team and, if we lose, Jose loses as well so we are all together.

"We need to play like we played before to win the games."

Ramires also revealed that Mourinho did not talk to the players directly after Saturday's defeat.

"It is difficult because when we lose a game, everyone is sad in the dressing room," Ramires said after the game. "The manager didn't say anything because it was not the time but on Sunday we have a conversation and he will show to us what we did in the game."

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