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'It's not just the defeat but the manner of it. They were absolutely outplayed'
Jose Mourinho's future as Chelsea manager looked increasingly uncertain after Liverpool beat them 3-1 in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with Philippe Coutinho scoring twice.
Champions Chelsea's third home league defeat of the season left them in 15th place in the table with 11 points from 11 games -- the worst ever start to a season by reigning champions.
Liverpool's fans, celebrating a first league win for new manager Juergen Klopp, taunted Mourinho, chanting: "You're getting sacked in the morning", while home fans looked stunned as they filed away into the streets of west London.
Former Chelsea midfielder Pat Nevin, summarising on BBC Radio Five Live, summed up the mood: "The questions over Mourinho will be a cacophony now.
"It's not just the defeat but the manner of it. They were absolutely outplayed," he said.
'I feel for him'
Klopp was sympathetic, telling a news conference: "I feel for him. He's a great coach. I don't think anyone in this room doubts he's one of the best in the world. Things like this happen. I had a similar situation at Dortmund last year."
While Chelsea lurch from crisis to crisis -- they have lost nine times in all competitions, including their midweek defeat on penalties by Stoke City in the League Cup which they won last season -- Liverpool are buoyant.
Mourinho says he does not expect sack at Chelsea
While a defiant Mourinho said he expected to be given time to turn around the defending English champions' dreadful start to the season.
Asked by a reporter if he expected to be dismissed, a tight-lipped Mourinho responded: "No, I don't."
When another reporter attending a post-match news conference asked if he thought Mourinho would be given the chance to fix Chelsea's alarming slump to just above the relegation zone, the Portuguese coach said: "Yes".
Mourinho declined to respond directly to questions about a moment in the game when Liverpool midfielder Lucas, who had already been booked, was spared a second yellow card by referee Mark Clattenburg for tripping Ramires who was bursting forward with the scores level at 1-1.
Mourinho was given a heavy fine and a suspended one-match stadium ban for criticising refereeing decisions earlier in the season and he was banished to the stands in Chelsea's previous game at West Ham.
He did, though, appear to allude to the Lucas incident in the news conference.
"Everything is a consequence of some crucial moments, moments that the stadium saw," he said. "The players more than see, they felt it and from now what happens is just a consequence."