*’You’re getting sacked in the morning’: Mourinho taunted by Everton fans after Naismith hat-trick condemns tired, old and lost Chelsea to another defeat and worst start to a season for 27 years
The feeling of helplessness and crisis surrounding Jose Mourinho deepened at Goodison Park when a vibrant Everton side inspired by youth and verve inflicted another defeat on a Chelsea team that is looking tired, old and lost as it slides towards the bottom of the table.
A superb hat-trick from substitute Steven Naismith and a quite sumptuous defensive performance from Chelsea transfer target John Stones consigned Chelsea to their third defeat in five games this season. The season may be young but it already feels as if the title has slipped from the champions’ grasp.
This felt like an ominous result for Mourinho, who had a meeting with the club’s owner Roman Abramovich at the club’s Cobham training ground on Friday. Abramovich is not a patient man and even though Mourinho has a special place in the hearts of Chelsea fans, his position may be growing precarious.
Chelsea now have only four points from their first five games and star players like Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas look shadows of the men they were last season. Even the sublime Eden Hazard is struggling to impose himself on matches.
Mourinho, so often a coach who forces improvements with change, looks suddenly powerless. His team faces Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge this week and those who fear for him will remember that the first time he was in charge of the club, he left after a disappointing opening European game at home to Rosenborg. The omens, generally, are not good.