Jose Mourinho's public criticism of Chelsea's players following their defeat to Leicester City could have been the "final straw" that led to his dismissal, according to ex-Blues star Clive Walker.
Mourinho said he felt "betrayed" after the 2-1 defeat at the King Power Stadium and Walker suspects members of the squad may have voiced their unhappiness over his comments to the Blues hierarchy.
"I suspect that he might have lost the players after Monday," Walker told Goal. "He had tried everything – leaving players out, changing training methods, changing the style and tactics.
"The last [move] was to criticise the players and he would have known that was a big gamble on Monday. He would have hoped they would knuckle down after that, but it might have gone the other way.
"There are some big personalities in that changing room and a few of them might not have liked his remarks after the defeat at Leicester and voiced their complaints to the hierarchy.
"That might have been a defining moment and for Jose the final straw.
"Chelsea have been the exception to the rule that a successful club has a settled manager. That is because Roman Abramovich puts his managers under constant pressure.
"If they don’t succeed, they are replaced. Jose would have known the score and accepted that, hence the decision to leave was a mutual one."
Walker was nevertheless surprised, however, to see Abramovich finally pull the trigger after the worst start to a title defence in Premier League history.
"It is a shock," he admitted. "I didn’t see it coming and thought he would get more time.
"There are a couple of games coming up that I would still expect Chelsea to win [at home to Sunderland and Watford] and then I thought he might have been given the January transfer window to sort it out.
"But on the other side football is now big business and especially a club like Chelsea.
"I don’t think I heard one ex-Chelsea player say he thought Jose would go anytime soon.
"We all have two things in common: We want the best for the club and we all know that no one person is bigger than the club, but Jose is the ‘Special One’ and if one person was to get more slack, you would think it would have been him.
"He has been a big part of the club and it was interesting that the club pointed out in their statement today that he has been the club’s most successful manager in its history.
"I think there are a few heavy hearts deep in that club today."
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