Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final win over Blackburn means the “quadruple” is still within reach of Jose Mourinho, yet the coach himself seems less than convinced that he will still be in charge next season.

Why? Only billionaire owner Roman Abramovich could tell but for Chelsea fans the story is a familiar one.

For the fifth decade running, it seems a top-class manager is in danger of being ushered through the exit door despite having laid foundations for long-lasting success.

In the 1960s, Tommy Docherty left for off-field reasons after creating a brilliant young team. Fellow Scot Eddie McCreadie did another excellent job with a collection of youth-team products in the 1970s before leaving in a row over the size of the company car Chelsea were willing to allow him.

John Neal was forced to stand down by illness in the 1980s after building a fine side around astute signings like Kerry Dixon, David Speedie and Pat Nevin. Then, the most remarkable of the lot…Ruud Gullit.

Having gone 26 years without any major silverware, the dreadlocked Dutchman led Chelsea to FA Cup glory in 1997 in his first season. In his second campaign Gullit, he of the “sexy football”, was mysteriously sacked by Ken Bates with the club second in the Premier League, through to the semi-finals of the League Cup and in the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners’ Cup.

Chelsea used to have a penchant for pressing the self-destruct button. Are they getting twitchy fingers again?

Tony Jimenez is a chief sub-editor on the Reuters sports desk, London