Jose Mourinho has insisted he will not quit his job following Chelsea's 3-1 home defeat to Southampton, saying that if the club choose to sack him then it will send out the wrong message.

Chelsea took the lead in just the tenth minute through Brazilian midfielder Willian, but were pegged back before half time when Steven Davis cracked a low drive past Asmir Begovic in the 44th minute.




On the hour mark the Saints took the lead at Stamford Bridge, with Sadio Mane bustling his way past John Terry to score.

In the 72nd minute it was 3-1 to the visitors when Graziano Pelle struck, the striker getting on the end of good work from Mane to fire home.
 


Chelsea huffed and puffed, but could not find a way back into the game and did not manage one shot on target in the second half. And the Blues slipped to defeat.

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Mourinho was quick to insist after the match that he is not about to leave Chelsea and stressed that the club are in a crucial moment.

"Look, I think you know me and I don't run away from my responsibilities. First, I want to say because we are in such a big moment you should not be afraid to be honest", he said on Sky Sports.

"If the club wants to sack me they have to sack me because I am not running away.

"To be champions now is very difficult because the distance is so much, but I am convinced we will finish in the top four, which in a season this bad, when you finish in the top four it's OK.
 


"It is a crucial moment in the history of this club because if they sack me they sack the best manager this club has ever had. The message is that the results are the fault of the manager, who is guilty.

"This is a moment for everybody to assume their responsibilities and stick together."

And Mourinho also took aim at referees, who he feels are scared to give Chelsea decisions. The Portuguese was especially unhappy that a Radamel Falcao penalty appeal was turned down, though Southampton had solid penalty shouts for fouls on Virgil van Dijk and Mane.

"The referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea. At 1-1, it is a huge penalty and once again we don't get. If the FA wants to punish me they can. They don't punish other managers. My players deserve it and the fans deserve it. I am also a Chelsea fan.

"Referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea, why because there is always a question mark and we are always punished.

"Clear penalties are not given. Even in the Champions League in a match we lose 2-1, we are not given a penalty in the last minute. And there were five officials in that game.

"The penalty in this game is crucial because my team, at the moment, the first negative thing that happens, they collapse because they feel so down. Players who should play well don't.

"The penalty was a giant penalty and after that the team lost even more confidence."