Former England manager Fabio Capello has claimed that Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is no longer getting the best out of his players.
The Blues won the Premier League title under the Portuguese coach last season, but four defeats from their opening eight games of this campaign means that they are currently 16th in the table.
Chelsea insisted on Monday that Mourinho retains the full support of the club, but Capello has suggested that the 52-year-old could continue to struggle.
"Mourinho is a great coach. But after a year and a half his players are burned. His men are mentally no longer able to give him what he wants," The Mirror quotes the Italian as saying.
"The cycles of the current Chelsea manager last more or less this time. Mourinho, at this time of difficulty has asked the club to take sides - with him or against him.
"The company has made a statement defending him across the board. But the team does not have rhythm. It is lacking malice and aggression. [Branislav] Ivanovic is not himself and the loss of [keeper Thibaut] Courtois is a serious one because with him Chelsea would not have let in a lot of the goals they have conceded."
Mourinho took charge of Chelsea for the second time in 2013, having previously been manager from 2004 to 2007.
Steven Toplis
