From bad to worse – a timeline of Chelsea’s struggles

Jose Mourinho is currently enduring by far the worst season of his prestigious career after Chelsea suffered a ninth defeat in all competitions on Saturday.

The Blues have lost nine times in just 19 matches in all competitions this season – and fell to their latest defeat on Saturday as his beleaguered side lost 1-0 at Stoke.

Here, TEAMtalk looks at the Portuguese’s beleaguered start to the season, on and off the pitch.

August 8: Mourinho criticises Chelsea first-team doctor Carneiro and physiotherapist Jon Fearn for naivety in running on to the field to treat Eden Hazard in the opening-day draw with Swansea. Mourinho is cleared by the Football Association of abusing Carneiro, who then subsequently leaves Chelsea.

August 16: Chelsea lose 3-0 away to Manchester City, with Mourinho substituting captain John Terry at half-time.

August 29: Mourinho’s 100th Premier League home match results in only a second loss as his side go down 2-1 to Crystal Palace.

September 12: The Blues lose again as they are beaten 3-1 at Everton, Steven Naismith with a hat-trick.

September 19: Diego Costa is banned retrospectively for a running feud with Arsenal defenders Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel in Chelsea’s 2-0 win. Arsene Wenger avoids censure afterwards for calling referee Mike Dean “weak and naive”. Mourinho turns his frustrations to Wenger and the FA.

September 29: Chelsea lose 2-1 to Mourinho’s old club Porto in the Champions League.

October 3: Following a fourth league defeat, 3-1 to Southampton, Mourinho questions whether he will be sacked and subsequently receives the first vote of confidence in a manager in the 12 years of Roman Abramovich’s ownership. He is, though, hit with a £50,000 fine and suspended one-match stadium ban for comments after the loss about referee Robert Madley, which, an independent panel judges, alleged bias.

October 15: The Portuguese maintains his attack on the FA, calls his fine a “disgrace” and says: “I’m happy that I don’t have an electronic tag.”

October 17: Mourinho rounds on star player Hazard after dropping him to the bench for the 2-0 win over Aston Villa and demands the Belgian improve his defensive work rate.

October 24: Chelsea lose again, 2-1 at West Ham, losing Nemanja Matic to a first-half red card and also having assistant first-team coach Silvino Louro sent to the stands. Mourinho does not emerge on the touchline for the second half, having also been sent off.

October 26: Mourinho charged with misconduct over his behaviour at West Ham.

October 27: Holders Chelsea are knocked out of the Capital One Cup after losing their fourth-round tie to Stoke on penalties.

October 31: Chelsea suffer yet another defeat as Liverpool are 3-1 winners at Stamford Bridge. The club’s position on his future, publicly at least, is unchanged from the vote of confidence at the start of the month.

November 2: Press Association Sport learn legal papers will be served on Mourinho as part of separate but connected claims against him and against the club by Carneiro.

November 2: Mourinho is given a one-match stadium suspension with immediate effect and fined £40,000 after admitting an FA charge of misconduct over his behaviour at West Ham.

November 6: The FA releases its written reasons for Mourinho’s ban, saying he called referee Jon Moss “f****** weak”.

November 7: With Mourinho absent from the game due to his ban, Chelsea lose 1-0 at Stoke, the club’s seventh league loss of the campaign.

Are we witnessing Mourinho’s last stand at Chelsea? How long should the club stay patient with him? Discuss their latest defeat on the Chelsea Your Say forum.