Maurizio Sarri only arrived in July, and discussion of an early exit for the Italian should be premature.
We are in the beginning of February, 5th on the table with 47 points (before our home meeting with Huddersfield), only outside of the top four on goal difference and in a Carabao Cup final at the end of the month, yet I have seen #SarriOut hashtags and calls for the Italian’s head all over social media by some Chelsea fans.
Whilst I understand Chelsea fans may be pulling their hair out following losses against both London and top four rivals Arsenal and Tottenham, along with the midweek’s unacceptable 4-0 hammering to Bournemouth. I still don’t quite understand why we should even consider parting ways with Maurizio Sarri.
Yes, losing is frustrating, and seeing our team drop points against the likes of Southampton, Leicester and Everton at home is as infuriating as seeing Callum Hudson Odoi not getting a league start. Yes, it is frustrating to see players like Willian and Marcos Alonso starting week in and week out when they have struggled to perform in the Starting XI consistently this season. Yes, Sarri deserves to shoulder some of the blame, whether that is because of his predictable tactics or stubbornness to change personnel at times, but what were we expecting? A title challenge?
No, Chelsea were never expected to challenge the likes of Manchester City or Liverpool for the Premier League title this season, both clubs which gave their managers at least one season to implement their ideas and bring in the personnel of their choice. Did we suddenly forget the 12 game unbeaten run from August to November or the impressive 2-0 victory over Manchester City? Did we forget that we will be contesting in a cup final later this month? Not all things are that bad.
He is bold and brave in his attempt to revolutionise Chelsea’s entire playing style to the core, with a new 4-3-3 system based on possession, movement off the ball and a flurry of quick, short passes to the ground. Isn’t this what Chelsea fans have been craving for years? Beautiful, free flowing attacking football? If your answer is yes, then you must be patient and give this man time to put into place his philosophy. Rome wasn’t built in a day, heck even Pep Guardiola, who if we remember, was under fire after a trophiless first season at the Ethiad, was given time and City are bearing the fruits of his labour.
Chelsea need to not only give Sarri time to implement his tactics and way of thinking, but to also eliminate the cultural stigma that the club doesn’t give managers time. Chelsea have had 10 managers in the 15 years Roman Abramovich has been in ownership of the club, not even the second coming of Jose Mourinho was enough for the club to sustain some stability.
Trophy-winning managers like the aftermentioned Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Roberto Di Matteo, Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez were all not given time to build on the success that they achieved at Stamford Bridge, and this habit is becoming poisonous towards the players attitudes. Over the years, as soon as the team struggles with results, its the manager and not the players who are under fire. I believe this is having a negative effect on the club, as a handful of players in the locker room are starting to feel too comfortable with the ever-changing cycle of managers.
Case in point, Mourinho, following his title winning season in 2014/15 and Conte, following another title win in 2017/18. The team has become too complacent following the success and as soon as the manager criticises the performances, the players down-tools and its the manager’s head that ends up on the chopping block.
Sarri deserves time, he had every right to call out the player’s mentality, following the 2-0 away defeat at Arsenal two weeks ago, and was absolutely entitled to question the players mentality again, in the aftermath of the midweek defeat. The change of the club’s footballing DNA will take some time and we were all aware of this heading into the season.
Chelsea knew what they were getting with Sarri, a merticulous manager who, whilst has yet to win a major trophy honour in his career, produced exciting and exhilarating football with Napoli, coming within a whisker of dethroning Juventus’ hegemony at the top, and led the Partenopei to their highest point tally with 91 points. He is the man who is looking to eliminate the ‘boring defensive minded team’ perception that the footballing world sees us and he is the man who is looking to bring the ‘fun football’ that Mr Abramovich craved since the day he bought the club back in 2003.
The OzBlue fan 