On September 20, 2007, Mourinho and Chelsea went separate ways and Steve Sidwell has revealed how players such as Lampard and Terry were left 'crying on the floor' at the news. Costa already has 17, and with 11 matches remaining, he's set to surpass Drogba's return. They complain about their contracts and being forced to stay but they always get away scot-free when they are the ones who are actually underperforming. This time last season, the Blues were on their knees. Sheva was unable to adjust to the pace of the Premier League, and apart from some flashes of brilliance, he was a major flop.Hazard's opener against West Ham showed us what he is all about. He may hold his own for a few rounds, but the knockdown is inevitable.With Mourinho's system against Pompey in March 2007, however, Lampard's position was similar to what Pedro's is now. ... in 2007, and the League Cup three times - in 2005, 2007 and 2015. I saw players who were not giving everything. "I'm sad to see Jose go because I got to know him quite well and he's a great manager with great character. Chelsea put in a resolute showing but had Mikel Jon Obi harshly sent off for a rash tackle on Patrice Evra. "There is no trust there, respect is gone. Homepage. Chelsea, already without skipper John Terry, also lost Didier Drogba to injury, leaving new signing Malouda, Joe Cole and Wright-Phillips to form an unfamiliar frontline. While Marcos Alonso has done an impressive job as the Blues' left wing-back this term, he struggles to compete with the threat of Robben now and especially 10 years ago.In his prime and as a striker, Andriy Shevchenko knocks.His Chelsea career was a disaster. "Mourinho is one of the great managers in world football and Chelsea have let him go twice, I think that's a great shame. To display this page fully you need Javascript enabled in your web browser.Further details about the exhibitors and gardens at the show.The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites.Watch a video tour of all the show gardens and learn about the inspiration behind each design.Bring some Chelsea style to your own garden with our takeaway planting plans from leading designers.Take a look at all the small gardens, including the BBC RHS People's Award winner for 2007,Catch up with the plants, designers and growers that stole the show last year,Look back at the week's news from the show and find out what made the headlines,Get closer to the planting in the show gardens with our 360 degree interactive images.This page has been archived and is no longer updated. He's not 'The Special One' any more.". More often than not, he does that for Chelsea. Injuries let them down.David Luiz beating Andy Carroll in the air. Read about Arsenal v Chelsea in the Premier League 2007/08 season, including lineups, stats and live blogs, on the official website of the Premier League. I personally think Mourinho has been looking for a way out most of the season - ever since he messed so badly over Eva Carneiro.The comment 'he lost the dressing room' always makes me laugh (albeit bitterly) - what it means is that a bunch of so-called professionals decided that it was ok to stop giving 100% because it wouldn't be them that lost their jobs when they didn't win.They can win the Champions League and be relegated at the same time!As a Chelsea fan since 1966, I liked Jose until the incident with Dr. Eva Carneiro. ".Mourinho leaves with Chelsea only a point above the relegation zone and 20 points behind Leicester.Champions League qualification via one of the top four spots in the Premier League looks highly unlikely.However, the Blues are through to the last 16 of European football's biggest club competition, where they will face French champions Paris St-Germain in February and March.Mourinho only signed a new four-year contract on 7 August and is Chelsea's most successful manager.He won three Premier League titles, two of those in his first spell between 2004 and 2007.The Portuguese has also won the FA Cup, in 2007, and the League Cup three times - in 2005, 2007 and 2015.It has not only gone wrong in the Premier League for Mourinho; he has also had his issues off the pitch.A 2-2 draw with Swansea on 8 August was overshadowed by a fallout with his medical team, in particular club doctor Eva Carneiro.Carneiro had her role downgraded after Mourinho said his medical staff were "naive" for running onto the pitch to treat midfielder Eden Hazard.and is now taking legal action against Mourinho and the Blues.Mourinho also received a suspended stadium ban and £50,000 fine for.were "afraid" to award his team penalties in a 3-1 home loss to Southampton in October.He subsequently had to serve a one-match stadium ban and pay a £40,000 fine for his behaviour during a 2-1 defeat by West Ham.It is unlikely he will be out of management for long, given his record of success at Chelsea and other top European clubs.He guided Porto and Inter Milan to Champions League glory in 2004 and 2010 respectively, then Real Madrid to the Spanish La Liga title in 2012.However, Shearer said his departure from Chelsea "will tarnish him".At 52, Mourinho is still some way from retirement age, but he has expressed a wish to coach the English and Portuguese national sides at some stage in his career.In fact, he claimed he turned down the chance to become England boss when Steve McClaren was sacked in 2007.Mourinho has a proven track record of bringing success over the short term but doubts will remain over his ability to build a dynasty.Will that make his candidature less appealing to the kind of club he is used to managing, such as Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain, Manchester United or Manchester City?Madrid? Ultimately it is easier to change a manager than 22 players. My understanding is he has been paid until the end of this season, what was left of the annual salary of £12m he receives. Chelsea deployed a 4-1-3-2 back in 2007, defeating Portsmouth 2-0 at Fratton Park. Jose Mourinho was in charge back then and in his third season as Chelsea boss. "His three league titles, FA Cup, Community Shield and three League Cup wins over two spells make him the most successful manager in our 110-year history. In one corner we have a central midfielder filling in for an injured team-mate, and in the other a defensive specialist.Essien played as a centre-back for Chelsea against Pompey in March 2007 as Terry was missing through injury. In contrast, Drogba hit his first half century of league goals for Chelsea in 106 matches.The difference between the pair is staggering, especially when we consider that Chelsea were England's dominant team for much of those games Drogba played. The rest of the game would become a sideshow.It's what Makelele did so well in his Chelsea career, and Kante is doing it now.It would be some bout, but we're predicting a draw.This gave us a real headache when mulling over, as Michael Ballack was a supreme talent. He is still a menace to defenders, as he proved in Bayern Munich's recent 10-2 aggregate thrashing against the Gunners in the Champions League.Robben was incredible in his three years at Chelsea, terrorising full-backs on either flank. Manchester? Jose didn't kick a ball all year - and don't talk motivation - the players earn millions to kick a ball up and down a field. Once you unfairly criticise an employee for doing their job correctly, you lose the trust of the rest. Lost the dressing room after the doctor incident as the beginning of the season.SACKED TWICE BY THE SAME CLUB - SPECIALIST IN FAILURE!! He has matured this season and looked every bit his potential from yesteryear suggested.Carvalho rarely suffered the same problems Luiz has with the defensive slips that have plagued him at times. It's unprecedented. He was a stop-gap, a necessary evil as Mourinho looked to populate his side.Moses, on the other hand, has been one of the best right-sided players in the Premier League this term. "Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have today parted company by mutual consent. If we compare legend status, then there's no competition—Drogba wins hands down for his moment of inspiration in the 2012 Champions League final in Munich.Costa can't compete, but we're not talking about legends here. Who is the better striker? "While he has undeniably enjoyed so much success around Europe, he has failed to secure a lasting legacy and enjoy success over a prolonged period of time. "His legacy at Stamford Bridge and in England has long been guaranteed and he will always be warmly welcomed back to Stamford Bridge. Cesar Azpilicueta has featured as a left-back for Chelsea before, so for the purposes of this matchup, we've moved him back there.When this matchup happened in real life, it was Azpilicueta who came out better off. I would have thought there would be frustration with some of the players. He was reliable, and there was a strong relationship between backline and goalkeeper.Courtois lacks that same authority, and while this term has seen him restore his reputation, there have been some moments where the ghosts of 2015/16 have lingered.This is a close contest, but Cech edges this one to put Mourinho's Class of 2007 one up on the current crop.Defence has proved a tricky matchup to select as Chelsea effectively play with five defenders in Conte's current 3-4-3 formation, with Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso becoming full-backs when Chelsea switch to defence.In March 2007, it was just four defenders for Chelsea against Portsmouth.With this is mind, we've adjusted our bouts slightly. On the back of 2015/16, we know that hasn't been the case for Costa's Chelsea.In 2006/07, Drogba would hit 20 league goals for the Blues. They've both partnered John Terry at some point in their Chelsea careers, too.Luiz has been a revelation as the libero in Conte's three-man defence, showing us what a fine player he is. "There will be no further comment until a new appointment is made. And while the Spaniard has been excellent for Chelsea this season, he still doesn't come close to defeating Lampard.There's nothing left to say about the ex-Chelsea star that hasn't already been written. Get all the latest news, videos and ticket information as well as player profiles and information about Stamford Bridge, the home of the Blues. That says everything about him.We've all seen the viral YouTube clips where two boxers are slugging it out only for both to drop their guard simultaneously and knock the other to the floor at the exact same moment their own jaw turns to glass.Well, that's what we're predicting here for Claude Makelele and N'Golo Kante. We'll just leave you with the memory of his record 211 Chelsea goals. Two days after beating Tottenham 1-0 in the league in April 2007, Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea flew to Spain to take on a Valencia side managed by Quique Sanchez Flores (now reappointed at Watford) at their Mestalla home – a fortress supposedly impregnable to English invaders. Chelsea stubbornly kept the deficit to one goal until … Its about individual talents, and by that measure, Costa shades it over his former Chelsea team-mate.When Costa scored to make it 2-0 against West Ham at the London Stadium, it was his 49th Premier League goal since arriving from.It's taken Costa 79 matches to rack up his current tally. Munich? "It is astonishing. Read Phil McNulty's verdict.The Blues may be struggling at the wrong end of the Premier League table, but they are still in the Champions League and the FA Cup, while achieving European qualification is not impossible.The key for any new manager is improving the morale of a talented squad that has underachieved this season.Players such as Eden Hazard, Diego Costa, Willian, and Oscar were key to Chelsea winning the league title but performances have fallen well below the heights they reached last year.After the 2-1 defeat by Leicester Mourinho said he felt his "work was betrayed" by his players, and midfielder Cesc Fabregas has said it is time for everyone to step up. He was wrong; he could have apologised and it would have been forgotten. Welcome to the official Chelsea FC website. "Even when we have lost matches at home the supporters have chanted his name, there has been very little dissent about him going [wanting him to go]. They had just been dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain for the second season running, while they were sat in 10th place in the Premier League, playing for nothing more than pride.In the present, things couldn't be any more different. Thereafter, people are always looking over their shoulders - afraid to make mistakes - so they don't give of their best.What a pity, I was hoping he'd stay and take Chelsea down. Mind you, some of the players need to be transfer listed too.It was on the cards. "He won't be paid the £40m compensation speculated. "The club's focus is now on ensuring our talented squad reaches its potential. Read about Liverpool v Chelsea in the Premier League 2007/08 season, including lineups, stats and live blogs, on the official website of the Premier League. Bring some Chelsea style to your own garden with our takeaway planting plans from leading designers. "The point he was making about betrayal was they spent hours training to stop Leicester's Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez and they both scored goals, so they betrayed his methods rather than him. Chelsea dismiss manager Jose Mourinho seven months after he led the club to the Premier League title. Playing as a wing-back, he's been excellent for Chelsea, using his pace and work rate to benefit Conte's new system.If we're talking boxing, Diarra facing Moses in these circumstances is akin to a middleweight stepping up to the heavyweight division. Indeed, the Spaniard ended Ashley Cole's Chelsea career, with Mourinho forcing the ageing star out of Stamford Bridge at the conclusion of 2013/14 due to Azpilicueta's form on the left.In 2007, regardless of how good Azpilicueta has been for Chelsea since he signed in 2012, there's little chance he would have come close to bettering Cole. That pairing is one of the strongest Chelsea have seen, with Carvalho close to Terry's equal.In much the same way that Diarra facing Moses is unfair, it's the same with Michael Essien and Gary Cahill here. In true boxing tradition, let's get ready to rumble!Peak Petr Cech remains Chelsea's finest ever goalkeeper, and Thibaut Courtois has it all to do if he's ever to match his former team-mate's exploits at Stamford Bridge.That's not to say the Belgian won't, but where he finds himself in his career right now isn't on the same level as Cech from back in 2007, when he was busy keeping a clean sheet against Portsmouth.Cech was an incredible servant for Chelsea, and it was his presence in goal for the Blues that proved a major staple in their back-to-back title wins in 2005 and 2006. That's how good he's been this season.Gary Cahill has been a key cog for Chelsea.Victor Moses has been a revelation this season.Claude Makelele was a titan in Chelsea's midfield.Cesc Febregas is still performing with distinction.Arjen Robben has been tormenting defenders his entire career.Eden Hazard has returned to top form this season. He had everything to his game, being capable of scoring goals from all over the pitch with both feet and his head.That's an incredible statistic, outlining just how essential he was to Arsenal and now Chelsea. He's a loss to the Premier League.". "I've never known a capitulation like it from a football club," the former England captain,"I have never known players to perform like they did last season and then be so bad now. "Jose Mourinho had a meeting with the club at around 14:30 GMT, when he was told the end had come. To use comments you will need to have JavaScript enabled.This is the biggest crisis in Chelsea's 11 year history.Normally these breaking news articles would have 3 lines followed by 'more to come'.I used to like Mourinho. "But both Jose and the board agreed results have not been good enough this season and believe it is in the best interests of both parties to go our separate ways. Under Conte now, the system is somewhat different with a 3-4-3 … Diarra wasn't a right-back, but he was forced to play outside of his usual central-midfield position to cover for injuries against Pompey. Just six days previous, the Chelsea captain had found himself in hospital after.The Ghanaian did a good job wherever he featured in a Chelsea shirt—even at right-back for a spell—but as a central defender, he's no match for the talents of Cahill in that position.There really is no competition here. More so than Shevchenko ever did.The debate rages on where Didier Drogba and Diego Costa are concerned. Looks like players have got their way.As far as I'm concerned this is why the Premier League is in the state it's in today and why I have switched off from football for many years, GREED + SKY = Destroying Football.Chelsea have sacked manager Jose Mourinho seven months after he led them to the Premier League title.The 52-year-old Portuguese had been in his second spell at the club.Chelsea finished eight points clear last season and won the League Cup, but have lost nine of their 16 league games so far and are 16th in the table, one point above the relegation places.Mourinho's final match was Monday's 2-1 defeat at leaders Leicester City.Pep Guardiola, Guus Hiddink, Juande Ramos and Brendan Rodgers have all been touted as possible successors as Blues owner Roman Abramovich begins another managerial search. !Dammit, I was enjoying watching him fail!I predict that in 12-18 months Mourinho will be thriving at one of Chelsea's rivals and Chelsea will be looking for a new manager as they'll have sacked his replacement.All the Guardiola noise coming out of Germany begins to make sense now. At least the sun was shining for a packed Wembley crowd, who had to wait 21 minutes for the first threat on goal when Giggs' effort was deflected over by Ashley Cole. ",Listen again to BBC Radio 5 live's Mourinho special.said he was "shocked" by Mourinho's departure but admitted Chelsea's form had been dreadful. ".Tim Rolls, of the Chelsea Supporters Trust, told the BBC News channel that fans would have preferred to lose some of the players rather than Mourinho. They should do it better.Eva Carneiro - The clock has been ticking ever since.I hope this doesn't mean Chelsea will improve.No sympathy at all, he's lacked any class this season and the treatment of Eva Carneiro was the act of a bully and a coward. ".said he was "shocked to say the least", adding: "They must already have somebody lined up to have done it now. The Blues were competing with.Come May, they would have to share the spoils as United took league glory before Chelsea defeated them at Wembley to lift the FA Cup.So how does Mourinho's Class of 2007 compare with Conte's Chelsea now?Using the latest round of Premier League fixtures, we've rewound the clock to March 3, 2007, to compare like-for-like with the starting XI that took to the field for Chelsea against.In the true spirit of a challenge, we're gauging the players like the warriors they are, using a boxing-style scorecard to judge who wins each bout.Chelsea deployed a 4-1-3-2 back in 2007, defeating.For instance, the right-back against Pompey was Lassana Diarra, so he will be paired with Chelsea's current right wing-back Victor Moses as we combine those positions that are most similar.That's enough of the small talk.