Akinfegbe Habeeb
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been given a one-match stadium ban and a £40,000 fine by the Football Association after admitting to a charge of misconduct during his team's 2-1 defeat to West Ham United. Mourinho was forced to watch the second half at Upton Park from the directors' box after allegedly trying to enter the match officials' dressing room at the interval.
The FA revealed on Monday that the Portuguese had been found guilty of misconduct regarding his language and/or behaviour after an Independent Regulatory Commission. Assistant first-team coach Silvino Louro, who was also dismissed in what was a fiesty encounter, denied a similar charge and was reminded of his responsibilities by the FA.
Mourinho's ban takes place with immediate effect, meaning the 52-year-old will not be present at the Britannia Stadium for his side's Premier League encounter on Saturday. The Chelsea manager has come under huge pressure in recent weeks, with the Premier League champions' 3-1 loss to Liverpool at the weekend their sixth defeat in 11 top-flight matches this season.The Blues were knocked out of the Capital One Cup by Stoke last week, and will need a more positive result on Saturday to ease some of the scrutiny on their beleaguered boss.
Chelsea's players must look at themselves and start performing, former Blues stalwart Frank Lampard said on Monday as speculation continues to swirl over the future of manager Jose Mourinho. The Premier League champions' have lost six of their opening 11 games and are 15th in the table as several of the club's leading players such as Eden Hazard and Diego Costa struggle to hit the form that helped Chelsea win the title last season. There have even been suggestions that an increasingly rattled Mourinho has lost the support of the dressing room, but Lampard says that should never be the case."It's nonsense if it is happening," Lampard, Chelsea's record goalscorer and three-times Premier League winner, twice under Mourinho, told Sky Sports."I don't think players at the top level can down tools. The first responsibility is yourself, if you are downing tools, the only one that looks stupid is yourself.""They're playing for Chelsea now and it is a huge club. They have to produce," he added. Lampard, who left Chelsea for New York City FC and spent last season on loan with Manchester City, believes Mourinho is still the man to lead Chelsea out of their current malaise."Stability is the ideal. Manchester United were the ideal with Sir Alex Ferguson and the same with the great Liverpool managers of the past, it's the ideal," he said."You want to see a manager stay, you want to see young players coming through, and that's the intriguing thing to see now, to see if Chelsea stick with him."He's got a four-year contract and he has got the best record as Chelsea manager. He is proven world class, and I think they should stick with him."Lampard watched Chelsea's 3-1 home defeat by Liverpool last weekend, saying the players were off the pace."Jose Mourinho loves a high-intensity game, and I didn't see that," the 37-year-old said. "I watched Chelsea press (against Liverpool), and it was broken. When you are a couple of seconds late, the opponents can play out."I don't think I'm being over-critical, I know the boys, but some people are leaders and vocal in the dressing room. We all know Chelsea have had that spine for quite a few years, but you look around now, and you think do they (still)?"
Similarly, Mikel believes only the Portuguese manager can turn around the dwindling fortunes of the Roman Army after a sweltering start to the season. The Nigerian international disclosed that his Chelsea teammates are giving their all for under fire manager Jose Mourinho in the wake of their 3-1 to Liverpool at the Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have made a false start in the English topflight and are currently ranked 15th with 11 points from 11 game. According to the midfielder, only the ‘Special One’ holds the key to lift the team from their deplorable state insisting that his co-players are right behind him.“The goals and the wins are not coming, but you can see we are playing for the manager and we are right behind him,” Mikel told Chelsea website.“There is no doubt about it. If anyone can turn this around I definitely think he is the one.“Last year we were champions and won two trophies. Jose knows this club more than any other manager and he is the most successful manager in this club's history.“If you say to the players that we are not giving 100 per cent then there is a doubt – but we are giving 100 per cent, we are playing for the manager and we are right behind him.“Everyone can see how much hard work we are putting in and we are playing well, but the results are not coming for us,” he concluded. The Nigerian has featured in each of the Blues’ last three games and was on for 70 minutes in their home defeat to Liverpool on Saturday.
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