Thursday 17 December 2015 06:38, UK
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's future at the club has been discussed at board level following Monday night's 2-1 defeat at Leicester.
However, no emergency meeting was held on Wednesday and it is believed the board's discussions were part of an ongoing process which has continued since a defeat to Southampton earlier this season.
Chelsea lost their ninth Premier League game of the campaign on Monday and, while board members Bruce Buck, Eugene Tenenbaum, Marina Granovskaia and Michael Emenalo discussed the manager's future with owner Roman Abramovich after the match, no decision was made.
Sky Sources can confirm that Mourinho's future has been discussed by the board on a regular basis since Chelsea's 3-1 defeat to Southampton on October 3 - a loss which prompted the club to issue a public statement backing the manager, the first time they have ever done so in the Abramovich era.
Chelsea's players were given a day off on Tuesday, but they were at the training ground on Wednesday, where Mourinho took training.
The mood was said to be 'subdued' as the first-team squad reflected on a defeat which left them 16th in the Premier League table, just one point above the drop zone.
Chelsea cruised to a third title success under Mourinho last season, after he twice led them to glory during his first stint at the west London club, but they have struggled so far this term.
However, qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League was secured last week and is understood to have relieved a lot of the pressure on Mourinho, although the board remains concerned about the club's league position.
They have taken positives from some aspects of recent performances, although defeats to Bournemouth and Leicester in consecutive matches have led to serious questions being asked about whether Mourinho can inspire an upturn in form.
The board are said to be cautious about sacking Mourinho for a second time, not wanting to make a hasty decision and remove a manager who they consider to be the best in the world.
Mourinho agreed a new four-year contract at the end of last season, which was publicly announced in August.
And there were conflicting reports on Wednesday about the financial implications of sacking Mourinho.
Chelsea's financial statements show they have not made any significant pay-offs for compensation to sacked managers since the departure of Luiz Felipe Scolari in 2009.
In recent times, Chelsea have continued to pay their sacked managers during the terms of their contracts until they find further employment elsewhere, at which point payments cease.
