Bored of talking about Chelsea and Jose yet?

I've got bad news for you - we're nowhere near finished with it...

Chelsea

Image source, Getty Images

You were all watching Chelsea TV on Thursday night, yeah?

Well in case you missed it - technical director Michael Emenalo stuck the boot in a bit to Jose Mourinho.

A "palpable discord between manager and players," he called it.

"This club is in trouble and something needed to be done."

 Read more about it here.

It's an open and entertaining game so far down on the south coast, where on-loan Manchester United forward James Wilson has just screwed Brighton's best chance wide of the target.

Will we be seeing both of these sides in the Premier League next season?

You can follow that game in full here.

Jonathan Pearce
BBC Match of the Day commentator

"Even in his last week it was all about him. His players had 'betrayed' his work. He had delivered the title by overachieving with players who weren't really up to it.

"Now the Jose Mourinho soap opera starring, directed by and produced by himself has been pulled. Grim stats read nine defeats in the opening 16 games - Chelsea's worst start since 1978-79's relegation. He still might have hung on though if not for this week's stinging barbs. Bridges were burned."

Image source, Getty Images

"The new manager will have to hit the ground running. Though Mourinho insisted Chelsea weren't in a relegation fight, Premier League history suggests they have less than a 50-50 chance of staying up!

"Of the 92 teams to have 15 points or fewer from their opening 16 games - 52% of them went down."

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Stamford Bridge

Image source, Chelsea

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has written a column in today's match programme for the game against Sunderland explaining the decision to sack manager Jose Mourinho.

Buck writes: "The difficult decision was made for Jose Mourinho to leave the club. I can assure you it was not a decision we took lightly. Nor was it a spur of the moment decision. Mr. Abramovich and the board agonised over it for some time."

He added: "But the start we have made to the season has come as a major disappointment to the owner, the Board and Chelsea fans everywhere and I think it is fair to say nobody expected us to be in the position we are in the Premier League just before Christmas."

Buck also says: "We are one of the biggest clubs in  the world and we are all determined, as a collective unit, to get back to where we should be."

Image source, .

Only 14 other managers have reached this "achievement".

Does this mean Tony Pulis loses a lot of games? Or does it just mean he's managed a load of games?

Let's go with the latter.

David Ornstein
BBC Sport

"Guus Hiddink is close to finalising a deal to become Chelsea manager on an interim basis.

"The 69-year-old Dutchman has yet to sign a contract but is understood to be happy with talks he held with Chelsea's hierarchy on Thursday.

"He will watch today's visit of Sunderland from the stands at Stamford Bridge.

"Coaches Steve Holland and Eddie Newton will be in charge of the team, with Hiddink sitting in the seats surrounding Blues owner Roman Abramovich.

"The former Netherlands coach will take his 15th role in management across club and international football.

"He plans to work with British coaches rather than turn immediately to foreign staff he has worked with previously."

Simon Brotherton
MOTD commentator at Britannia Stadium

Image source, Reuters

"Stoke were really impressive in beating Manchester City 2-0 in their last home game and this one is a sellout, but Crystal Palace will likely prove to be stubborn opponents.

"They've won 10 away games in the league since Alan Pardew took over in January, a figure bettered only by Arsenal (12 victories) in that time.

"It'll probably be tight with goals at a premium. Stoke have kept clean sheets in seven of the last nine in the league, while Palace have only let in half a dozen goals on the road."

Jose Mourinho has seen a very early goal as Kike stoops to plant a diving header into the net and put Middlesbrough in charge.

Follow that game here.

While we're on the south coast, let's take a look at another game in the region today.  

Image source, .

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman seemed a bit down when faced with the media this week. The Dutchman said his side must improve their "productivity." 

The Saints go into their meeting with Tottenham with just one draw to show from their last five matches, form which leaves them 12th in the table.

Our first game of the afternoon is under way, with top place in the Championship up for grabs and with a certain Mr. Mourinho watching on.

Image source, Getty Images

You can follow that game in its own live page here. 

Tell us of the football trips you've made at Christmas, the gifts & the games you've played in...

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Tweet using #bbcfootball,, external or text on 81111 (UK only and please include a name). Alternatively, post a comment on the MOTD Facebook, external page.

Shay Given
Stoke keeper on Football Focus

"I don't think Jose Mourinho will be out of the game too long. In a sense he could well have his choice of the top clubs, because we look set to have this managerial merry-go-round. There's pressure on Louis van Gaal, everybody wants Pep Guardiola... 

"One thing is for sure, Mourinho won't be sitting on the beach for too long." 

Jose Mourinho is definitely at the Amex Stadium and he's starting afresh in more ways than one. That's a close shave. Looks like a number two all over to me.

Image source, Getty Images

Trevor Sinclair
Former England winger on Football Focus

Image source, Getty Images

"Chelsea's stars should be embarrassed. Mourinho is a great manager with a great record of winning trophies. But he's just been sacked, and if you're one of the players in the squad who has not been performing for him, than that is simply unacceptable. There has to be pride in the badge."

Shay Given
Stoke keeper on Football Focus

"It's easy to sit here and say Chelsea's poor league position is the manager's fault. The players have to perform better. 

"Today's game will be interesting because the fans seem to be very much behind Jose Mourinho. What will their reaction to the players be like?"

BBC Radio 5 Live

There are reports on 5 live Sport that Jose Mourinho will be attending today's early Championship kick-off between Brighton and Middlesbrough (12:30 GMT).

Mourinho is an associate of Boro boss Aitor Karanka - his former number two at Real Madrid - and the ex-Chelsea manager made is clear in his statement this morning:, external "Because of his love of football, you will see Jose at grounds working and supporting friends."

Has the Special One flown south for the winter?

There is a live commentary of the game at the Amex Stadium here.

Image source, PA

Graeme Le Saux
BBC Football Focus

On BBC One's Football Focus: "When a player is looking for his manager to be in control of the situations, I think that’s where he struggled. 

"So much of what he did off the pitch would have raised questions within the dressing room, some of his post-match comments about performances, his deflection onto other factors, excuses about how the team were playing, whether it was officials or ballboys getting a mention.

"In some ways I was surprised he had his job for so long. I thought the club were very loyal to him and one of the main factors behind that were the fans, they stood by him. They deserve a lot of credit in that they didn’t turn on him.

"He brings people with him and gets them to buy into his philosophy, but it comes with consequences. It is very much about him, he doesn’t have the ability to see things from a different perspective and he creates unnecessary conflict I think. 

"All of those factors that help him be successful are probably the same factors that end in failure because it is such an intense relationship that it’s unsustainable."

Tell us of the football trips you've made at Christmas, the gifts & the games you've played in... Jamie Vardy's face atop your tree?

Tweet using #bbcfootball,, external or text on 81111 (UK only and please include a name). Alternatively, post a comment on the MOTD Facebook, external page.    

Football Focus

Join Football Focus for a preview of the weekend’s action on BBC One now. Trevor Sinclair and Shay Given are on the sofa today and you can watch them by clicking 'live coverage' at the top of this page.

You can watch reaction as all the goals go withFinal Score, live on the Red Button from 14:30 and on BBC One from 16:30 except for viewers in Scotland, who can watch Sportscene from the same time. 

And of course later there’ll be Match of the Day – today it’s on at 22:30 on BBC One.