Jose Mourinho interview: Chelsea manager says he cannot be sacked and players will decide if he goes

Jose Mourinho will only resign as Chelsea manager if his players withdraw their trust in him. The Blues suffered their fourth Premier League defeat of the season to Southampton, falling 10 points behind leaders Manchester City to leave the defence of their title in tatters.

Goals from Steven Davis, Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle saw Mourinho's side lose for the second time at Stamford Bridge this term, drawing questions over the future of the Portuguese boss. The club are seemingly out of the title race, languishing down in 16<sup>th with eight points from as many games.

Following Dick Advocaat's departure from Sunderland and Brendan Rodgers' sacking by Liverpool, Mourinho is second favourite to become the next Premier League manager to lose their job. The Chelsea boss had initially claimed he would only leave the club if sacked by owner Roman Abramovich, but now says the opinion of his players will dictate his future.

"People can say what they want. I think you should go straight to the players,'' Mourinho said, according to The Mirror "Get a table at Cobham [Chelsea's training ground] next week -- John Terry doesn't go to the national team, Diego Costa doesn't go, Ramires doesn't go. Ask them.

"If they tell you they don't trust me, [that] is the only thing that can make me resign. The only thing. But not fake sources. The players at the table. In this moment it's not so easy and my feelings -- I'm so unhappy with the sport feeling of defeat but I am so happy with myself with the way I am facing this."

Defeat tothe Saints means Chelsea have suffered the worst defence to a league title for 20 years, since Blackburn Rovers took seven points from their opening eight matches at the start of the 1995-96 campaign. The West London club have two weeks to regroup during the international break before they face Aston Villa in their next Premier League game, prior to a Champions League trip to Dynamo Kiev.