Jose Mourinho has warned Chelsea that they would be making a major mistake if they sacked him, blaming the officials for Chelsea's 3-1 loss to Southampton.

Chelsea took an early lead through Willian's free kick, but the Saints hit back shortly before the break when Steven Davis smashed a low drive past Asmir Begovic from the edge of the box.

Chelsea saw a penalty appeal for a challenge on Radamel Falcao by keeper Maarten Stekelenburg turned down, with the striker booked, shortly before Sadio Mane made it 2-1.

Graziano Pelle added a third for Southampton, but Mourinho said referee Robert Madley had cost his team by failing to spot the foul on Falcao.

"Look, I think you know me and I think you know I don't run away from responsibilities," he told Sky Sports. "Because we are in such a bad moment we shouldn't be afraid to be honest.

"The referees are afraid to give decisions to Chelsea. Once more we don't get the penalty at a crucial moment in the game.

"The penalty in this game is crucial because my team, at the moment, the first negative thing that happens, they collapse.

"The penalty was a giant penalty, and after that the team lost even more confidence."

He added: "If they [the FA] want to punish me, they can punish me. They don't punish other managers. My players deserve it and the fans deserve it.

"I want to say it again: referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea.

"The penalty was a giant penalty and the referee was afraid to give it, like everyone else is afraid to give it."

Mourinho said he would not "run away" and warned: "If the club wants to sack me they have to sack me, because I don't run away from my responsibilities."

However, he said it was "a crucial moment in the history of this club" and that owner Roman Abramovich would be making a major mistake if he decided to dismiss him for a second time.

"It is a crucial moment in the history of this club because if they sack me they sack the best manager this club has ever had," he added. "The message is that the results are the fault of the manager.

"This is a moment for everybody to assume their responsibilities and stick together."

He acknowledged that Chelsea were now highly unlikely to defend the Premier League title but said he had full faith that they would qualify for next season's Champions League.

"To be champions now is very difficult because the distance is so much, but I am convinced we will finish in the top four," he said.

Southampton counterpart Ronald Koeman hit back at Mourinho's penalty comments, saying: "Maybe if they had one penalty we [should have] had two penalties -- that's a decision for the referee.

"In my opinion, we totally deserved three points today. That's a confidence everybody needs. If we can show this against Chelsea, we can show it much more."

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