Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed that Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will return to winning ways at Stamford Bridge following a poor season so far.

Only seven months after lifting the Premier League crown, the Blues find themselves 14th in the table, just two points above relegation after 15 games.

Some reports have claimed that the club will hold talks with Mourinho once Chelsea's Champions League fate is decided this week.

"I have been watching Jose recently and spoken to him a couple of times, and this is the first time he has been confronted with non-success," The Guardian quotes Ferguson as saying.

"If you look at his whole career there has been nothing but a rise all of the time, so for the first time in his life he has had to deal with bad publicity, adversity, and that is a challenge for him, but there are signs he is getting back to a balanced level although they lost on Saturday.

"The sort of average time a manager lasts now is a year throughout the whole country and that is not a big time. For José, I think all good leaders will eventually find a solution I think he will get back to normal. It is not looking great at the moment but I know the guy and I know the work he has done in football and I can't see it lasting long. I can't see it."

Chelsea can secure their place in the last 16 of the Champions League if they earn at least a draw against Porto at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.