The Blues looked fragile as tempers flared when things went against them at Upton Park and, another step back from a top-four finish, the Portuguese may be out of time.
LONDON -- A 2-1 defeat by West Ham is painful enough for Chelsea, leaving the reigning Premier League champion nine points behind the Hammers and rapidly running out of a time to make a charge towards the top four. But more worrying was the air of capitulation in a period of absolute disarray in the 10 minutes leading up to halftime.
That spell, from the 35th minute until the end of the period, presented Chelsea as a club at breaking point, with all the frustrations and annoyances of its poor start to the season bursting out into the open.