The honeymoon for Jose Mourinho at Chelsea is over...again.

The Portuguese manager -- fresh off a 3-1 loss to Southampton -- made it abundantly clear, he’s not resigning. Two places from relegation or not, If Chelsea want him out, the club will have to fire him.

“I want to make it clear. One, I don't run away," said Mourinho, per BBC. "Two, if the club want to sack me, they have to sack me because I am not running away from my responsibilities or my team.

The Only Likeable Thing About Jose Mourinho, His Daughter

"Third -- and I think this is even more important than the first and the second -- it is a crucial moment in the history of this club. You know why? Because if they sack me, they sack the best manager this club had.”

Admittedly, Mourinho is correct in stating that. Chelsea’s rise in the Premier League coincided with his arrival in 2004. Two league titles and an FA Cup arrived before he departed in 2007, his third season with the club.

Eva Carneiro Forced Out Of Chelsea

And there inlies the problem for Mourinho, his third-year syndrome is rearing its ugly head at Chelsea once again.

Mourinho failed to win the league title in his third seasons at both Chelsea (the first time around) and Real Madrid. His final months in the Spanish capital were so volatile, the locker room divided either for or against him.

Iker Casillas -- a club institution -- clearly sided against him, being forced out of the starting XI for Diego Lopez.

It was no coincidence Carlo Ancelotti won the double with Casillas between the posts the very next season.

He finds himself in familiar territory yet again. This time, the narrative cannot be ignored.

Chelsea are four points from the relegation zone and Eva Carneiro was forced out in the most sexist way imaginable.

It’s still too early to sack the reigning Premier League champion manager, but given Mourinho’s history, it’s never too early to consider a backup plan.

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