Chelsea must stick with Mourinho: England ex-coach Eriksson

Former England coach Sven Goran Eriksson has come out in support of embattled Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, asserting that he has the ability to swing around the dismal season of the reigning English Premier League (EPL) champions.

"Jose Mourinho's situation is a surprise, because they won with style the Premier League last season. Nobody expected them to be three points from the relegation area. Football is strange, there is no logic sometimes," Eriksson was quoted as saying by the Mirror on Tuesday.

"Mourinho can turn it round -- the season is long. I have seen it before when successful coaches with years in football have had bad surprises."

Chelsea are currently parked at the 16th spot on the EPL table with 11 points -- three above the relegation zone. The defending champions have won just three of their 12 matches, but Eriksson insists that Chelsea Roman Abramovich must continue to keep faith in Mourinho.

"The only way is to stick together. If you don't do that then it's finished. You are finished. The club must stick together and I say stick together for not only the players. It is the players, yes, but the staff, the club itself, the owner, must all be together.

"When it starts to be too many discussions and too many rumours, then it is very difficult to turn it round. But if everyone sticks together you can do it, of course you can," he remarked.

"You have to have strength in yourself, you have to defend the whole club from the outsiders. If you are not, then it will be even worse. If you are not capable to do that then it will be the end.

"Jose, with his experience, would be able to do that you would think. But he needs help from everybody," the former Manchester City manager added.