Chelsea supporters only ones keeping Jose Mourinho in a job, says Tony Cascarino

Former Chelsea player Tony Cascarino believes the club's supporters are the only people keeping Jose Mourinho in a job.

Was Jose betrayed?

Have Mourinho's players let him down?

Sky sources understand the Blues hierarchy have begun to discuss the manager's future after their ninth Premier League defeat of the season on Monday Night Football, but are reluctant to sack the Portuguese for a second time.

Sky Sports football expert Cascarino does not see how Chelsea's dismal season can continue, with a "toxic" dressing room underpinning a string of defeats that leaves them just one point above the drop zone after 16 games.

And the former Blues striker believes Mourinho needs six points from his next two matches to have any chance of staying at the helm at Stamford Bridge.

"We must be surprised that he's still in the job. We've seen the likes of Luis Scolari, Roberto Di Matteo, Andre Villas-Boas and Carlo Ancelotti all leave that club," Cascarino told Sky Sports News HQ.

"Mourinho has been given the full backing of the board so far because he is so successful. He is known as the messiah of Chelsea Football Club - but he can still lose his job.

"How can this continue? To survive they have got to go on an unbelievable run and be in complete contrast from what we've seen so far. But on this season so far, there's no evidence they can do that.

"He's tried everything. Without six points from Watford and Sunderland I can't see him staying.

"The only people still behind him are the fans. They're still singing his name because they have such affection for him.

"But they're losing football match after football match. Against Leicester they were second best all over the field and that will be a massive concern to everyone at the football club.

"There's fine line as a manager about how far you take criticism of your team. Behind closed doors you can say a lot but when you go public and say it was a 'betrayal', there are a lot of players who won't like that.

"It will make the atmosphere toxic in that dressing room. They'll look at Jose and say 'what about you'?"