Is Mourinho feeling the pressure?

You’d expect a guy who three months ago was on top of the world after leading his side to Premier League glory to not feel any pressure at all and especially not after only one game of the current season but is Jose Mourinho feeling some undue pressure and if so why?

With the Premier League season opening up last weekend it was expected that Chelsea would get off to the perfect start to the defence of their title but found themselves up against an improving Swansea City side under boss Garry Monk and if that wasn’t enough, going down to 10 men shortly after the half-time break would not have helped their cause.

However the 2-2 draw on the opening day of the season has seen Chelsea boss Mourinho already make a shocking change but this time off the pitch with the demotion of league duties from club doctor Eva Carneiro, after the Portuguese boss criticised her presence on the pitch in the dying moments of the game, with Eden Hazard injured.

Mourinho is no stranger to pressure but the demotion of Carneiro has been on the lips of most pundits over the last few days but does the Chelsea boss have a point?

The Special One’s’ gripe with Carneiro was that treating Hazard on the pitch meant they were going to be down to nine men on the field with mandatory rules stating that a player, once they have been treated must make their way off the pitch. Mourinho argued that Hazard was not seriously injured and therefore the Chelsea medic should not have exposed the side to a Swansea side looking to snatch all three points at Stamford Bridge.

It can certainly be looked at both ways and whatever people think of Mourinho, his will to win at all costs is impressive and this single-minded mentality is a big part of the reason why the Blues are so successful. For Carneiro, she looks like she is being made the scapegoat for Chelsea’s slow start to the season and whilst some will label her naive, as Mourinho put it, others will label her professional, looking after the players, which by the end of it, is her job after all.

Chelsea will know that they can’t afford many early slip-ups and despite still being heavy title favourites, a summer of inactivity and the uncertainty of a few key injuries could see problems mount. Manchester City have begun their overhaul of their ageing squad and looked impressive against West Brom, whilst Arsenal will no doubt be on the mind of the Chelsea gaffer after their win over the side and now look like they could be serious contenders if they can cut out their inconsistency.

Whatever it looks like and to most outsiders it does look like pressure is building, Mourinho will be the calmest person in the Premier League, knowing his side will likely be on their way to a second consecutive title and knowing that his single-minded approach will see them pick up points quickly. For sides that are due to face Chelsea in the next few weeks, beware of the wounded animal!