Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho 'deserves a chance' - Avram Grant

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho should be given time to turn his poor season around, according to former Blues boss Avram Grant.

Grant, who took charge of Chelsea between 2007-08 and led the side to second place in the Premier League and the finals of the Champions League and League Cup, insists the club have struggled under the media spotlight this season.

Chelsea won the Premier League title last season but are 14th currently -- 12 points away from the top four -- after a dreadful start, and Grant thinks that owner Roman Abramovich should keep faith with his most successful manager.

"It is not easy, but I think Jose deserves a chance," he told Sky Sports News. "I didn't like when they [the media] made him the genius, and I don't like what they are doing to Jose now, saying 'He is useless' or something.

"It is not like this, it is too extreme. He is a good coach but, like any other person, he is facing tough times.

"He needs to show he can handle pressure but don't judge him only by the quality of his interviews when he is under pressure. He is a good coach, a nice guy, and he can get out of it, for sure."

Chelsea have lost seven of their 14 games in the league so far, but Grant claims their problems may stem from complacency after last season's title success.

"They need to stop living in the past and saying last season was like this and this," he added. "Because then you could also say that two seasons ago was not so great.

"Last season was great for Chelsea, winning the league title, but now they need to see what is the problem, why are top players not performing like they need to play, why the team is not performing like they need to, and find a solution.

"The quality is there, the talent is there. There is no doubt about this."

Jose Mourinho may regret dropping Chelsea striker Diego Costa, says Paul Merson

Jose Mourinho needs Diego Costa more than the Chelsea striker needs him, says Paul Merson.

Costa was dropped to the bench for Chelsea's 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane and made his displeasure clear, flinging his bib at Mourinho towards the end of the game after a brief warm up.

Mourinho denied suggestions of a rift with the 27-year-old but, after Costa had found the net for the first time in seven games for club and country in his previous Premier League outing against Norwich, Merson feels the Chelsea boss was wrong to sideline his best forward. 

While Costa has only scored three times in the Premier League so far this season, he was the club's top scorer in 2014/15 and Merson says 14th-placed Chelsea need him in the side to continue climbing the table after their nightmare start to the campaign. 

Merson told Sky Sports: "Mourinho needs Costa more than Costa needs Mourinho, especially with no other strikers scoring goals at the club right now.

"You don't throw your bib at somebody if you like them and there's clearly a problem there.

"Costa's goal against Norwich was a huge one and Mourinho's left himself in a tough situation by dropping him after that.

"Don't get me wrong, Costa hasn't been great and they did well at Tottenham without him, but you can't play like that all season, teams will find a way to stop them."

Merson does, however, expect Costa to be recalled next weekend as Chelsea host Bournemouth on Saturday Night Football.

He added: "Bournemouth is a nice game to bring him back for and certainly not the sort of game which you'd go into without a big striker."