Richard Keys has called for Chelsea to replace Graham Potter with Jose Mourinho after the current manager's woes continued on Saturday.
Chelsea were beaten 1-0 at home by bottom-of-the table Southampton, with James Ward-Prowse's free-kick making the difference for the managerless visitors. The defeat makes it five games without a win for Potter's side, who scored just one goal across the run of fixtures.
Blues owner Todd Boehly is believed to have no intention of sacking Potter, the man he appointed in September after giving Thomas Tuchel his marching orders. Keys, however, wants the Blues to bring back three-time title winner Mourinho for a third spell in charge.
"Jose Mourinho is a former Chelsea manager who’s enormously popular with the crowd," former Sky Sports broadcaster Keys told beIN SPORTS. "He’s the most successful individual the club has ever employed.
"I think Chelsea fans would react well to that. Todd Boehly is a populist so he will want to give the fans something to get excited about."
Boehly dismissed Tuchel just a month into the Premier League season, with the Blues losing three of their first seven games in all competitions. Potter tasted victory in his first three league games to lift his team back into the top four, but they have won just two of 14 since.
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"The experiment with Graham Potter has failed miserably so that’s got to change," Keys continued. "Boehly needs a get out of jail free card and that’s Jose Mourinho.
"Mourinho would be the most popular of appointments that Boehly could make right now and would buy him time in his project."
Mourinho's Roma won the inaugural Europa Conference League in his first season in charge. They failed to secure Champions League qualification last term, but have been flirting with Serie A's top four this time around.
The Portuguese coach won back-to-back Premier League titles in his first stint, having joined in 2004 after leading Porto to Champions League glory. He returned for a second spell in charge ahead of the 2013-14 season, and finished third and then first before a poor start in 2015-16 saw him sacked.
Boos rang out at Stamford Bridge as questions continued to be asked of the Premier League's biggest spenders. Chelsea have spent more than £500m across two transfer windows - one under Tuchel and one under Potter - with club record signing Enzo Fernandez among the new additions.
"After a 1-0 defeat at home, any criticism you get is understandable," Potter said after the latest defeat. "We've had a tough period and are integrating young players into the Premier League. When results don't go your way it's tough."
