The sports media has a natural tendency toward hyperbole in an already dramatic field.
But it would surely by safe to say that the Chelsea squad is playing for the future of their manager on Tuesday night in The Capital One Cup match against Stoke City at The Britannia Stadium (Kick Off 19:45 Local Time).
And it will be fascinating to see how they react.
Because with so much talk of squad unrest and Jose losing the dressing room, this will be the perfect way to gauge whether the team is still behind the manager.
Another tame performance and Jose Mourinho is more likely to get the hook than the players.
So, if they are unified in their disgruntlement with the Portuguese then perhaps we can expect another Chelsea defeat against an excellent Stoke side.
More likely, Jose will pick his most loyal servants and they will give him the performance and result that he needs.
It won’t be straightforward against such tough opponents and Chelsea also host Liverpool at the weekend.
But we feel that Chelsea will give their boss a performance to remember this week, with their backs firmly against the wall.
All four of the currently injured – Remy, Courtois, Ivanovic and Pedro – should remain unavailable for now. Meanwhile, Nemanja Matic is suspended for this one.
For this reason we are picking the following XI – a very strong side for a Capital One Cup game, but surely Jose needs the win more than ever.
Chelsea fans: Let’s have your elevens
