Paper Round: Mourinho will not be sacked, but Rodgers is facing chop if Liverpool suffer derby woe

Mourinho given vote of confidence - Jose Mourinho apparently survived an emergency board meeting at Chelsea after the club’s 3-1 defeat to Southampton on Saturday, claims the Daily Mail. Chelsea have lost six matches this season, and the Portuguese coach apparently challenged owner Roman Abramovich to sack him with an astonishing outburst on live television after the match. Chelsea’s directors met Mourinho after the match, and he was told he has the full support of the board to turn matters around at the English champions. Abramovich is apparently fuming at the loss of form, but won’t sack Mourinho because he does not want to regret making such a hasty decision that he could regret. According to the Daily Mail, Abramovich had to pay his manager around £18m when he left the club for the first time as coach back in 2007 following several disagreements.

Paper Round’s view: Results will dictate whether or not Mourinho survives. Put quite simply, a side costing so much cannot continue to languish so badly, and if the 'Special One' has lost the dressing room, he is probably already a dead manager walking. Abramovich may not want to pull the trigger, but may have no option if his manager cannot arrest such an alarming slump.

---

Rodgers could face the sack if Liverpool lost to Everton - The Mirror claims a demoralising defeat at Goodison Park could signal the end for Brenan Rodgers as Liverpool manager. Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group could act if Liverpool lose badly at Everton after the 1-1 draw with Swiss side Sion in the Europa League did little to lift spirits around the club. Former Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp and former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti have been strongly tipped to succeed Rodgers at Anfield.

Paper Round’s view: FSG are adamant that they take a long-term view of matters and management, but there must be a temptation to appoint a new coach amid times of seemingly ongoing toil under Rodgers in his post-Luis Suarez period. Every weekend appears to bring a new struggle and fresh inconsistency for Liverpool. Defeat to local rivals Everton would place owner John Henry under pressure to act in the face of the obvious discontent that will follow from the club’s fans.

---

Mourinho is 'losing the dressing room' - The players are not playing for Mourinho, says Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp. Redknapp has claimed the nature of Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat to Southampton at Stamford Bridge was “very worrying” for Jose Mourinho because it appears his players have stopped playing for him. Chelsea’s fourth defeat of the season in the Premier League means the club have already lost more games this season than they did over the course of last term. "Those players, if they’re behind Jose Mourinho they’re doing a bad job of showing it because there wasn’t a tackle made They never got close to anybody, a really poor performance," says Redknapp. "You can blame it on lack of confidence but that to me is a very worrying sign. He seems like he’s losing his players, he’s got to bring them back somehow."

Paper Round's view: You don’t have to be a wise sage to agree with Redknapp’s sentiment on this one. Branislav Ivanovic and John Terry suddenly look unable to cope with the demands and pace of the Premier League while men such as Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas appear to have lost all confidence in their own ability. Chelsea look a sorry lot, and could easily have lost by more to Southampton. If their demise continues to gather pace, Mourinho will be gone before Christmas no matter how theatrical his post-match press conferences are.

---

Chelsea don’t want Falcao - Radamel Falco is unlikely to join Chelsea on a permanent deal, according to the Mirror. The Colombia forward struggled and failed to score again in the 3-1 defeat to Southampton on Saturday. Chelsea have apparently made up their minds that they don’t want to finalise a permanent deal for the striker - whether or not manager Jose Mourinho remains at the club. Like Manchester United during the summer, Chelsea are set to reject the chance to land the player on a full-time deal. Falcao has scored just once in eight matches after netting only four times in 29 games at Manchester United under Louis van Gaal last season.

Paper Round’s view: If Mourinho is living on borrowed time, Falcao should probably be looking out possible destinations for himself next summer. The Premier League does not look like his natural home. He has become symptomatic of Mourinho and Chelsea’s struggles this season, and the gamble on a player recapturing the form he once displayed for Atletico Madrid before his knee injury seems to be one that is ill-advised. Like Fernando Torres before him, Falcao merely looks to be a name living off former glories.

---

Dyche and Pearson in frame to replace Advocaat - Sean Dyche and Nigel Pearson are being lined up to replace Dick Advocaat if he quits as Sunderland coach. Burnley manager Dyche was apparently favourite for the job until Advocaat did a U-turn over the summer to remain at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland are apparently now considering Pearson, who has since lost his job at Leicester despite keeping the Foxes in the Premier League last season. The pressure continues to build on Advocaat, whose side are second bottom of the standings after squandering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with West Ham on Saturday.

Paper Round’s view: Looks only a matter of time before Advocaat departs the Stadium of Light. He said he was in the dark about what happens next after the match with West Ham. With the international break looming large, this would seem like the ideal time for the Dutch coach to work out a severance package with Sunderland rather than continuing to struggle on. Owner Ellis Short is apparently keen to recruit a British coach, and either Dyche or Pearson look like the ideal fit for the club, but that has been said about several managers who have taken over Sunderland in the past.