Ever since Roman Abramovich took over, Chelsea have been pounded by pundits for not giving managers enough time to implement a philosophy.
So why is Maurizio Sarri being written off by some halfway through his first season?
Anyone who kept tabs on his three years at Napoli knows that Sarriball (initially dubbed ‘Sarrismo’ by the Italian media) is a style which, fully bedded in with the right personnel, makes for entertaining and effective football.
It ticks all the boxes required to be deemed a proper footballing vision, just like Pep Guardiola’s ‘tiki taka’ and Jurgen Klopp’s ‘gegenpress’.
How long have those two been working in the Premier League for again?
Sarri isn't bringing anything new to the table
ALAN SHEARER has sensationally blasted Maurizio Sarri's tactics.
The former Newcastle captain believes Sarriball is nothing original.
And he wonders if the style will ever work in the Premier League.
Click here to read more about Shearer on Sarri.
Sarri’s style is based in possession, and it is fundamental for passes to be played quickly and vertically as the entire team presses high up the pitch towards the opponent’s goal.
It is a demanding tactic, with continuous movement and transitions needed to disrupt the opposition’s shape, and it took Napoli two full years under Sarri to hit top speed before last term’s incredible 91-point haul.
Chelsea showed earlier in the season that the basics of Sarriball had been quickly absorbed, with Klopp hailing it as the “biggest transformation in style ever seen in a short space of time.”
But the Blues have been entrenched in a defensive mentality ever since Jose Mourinho’s first spell.
And as well as delivering trophies, Sarri has also been given the brutal task of upheaving the club’s modern-era philosophy.
Old habits die hard though, with Chelsea sometimes unable to break down stubborn opponents who are happy to park the bus.
However, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the Blues will learn from their mistakes to overcome the same hurdles in the future.
It must also be pointed out that Sarri is effectively playing with Antonio Conte’s squad.
Jorginho was the only real addition last summer, with Kepa Arrizabalaga needed to replace Thibaut Courtois and Mateo Kovacic arriving on loan just to sweeten the Belgian’s Real Madrid switch.
There is plenty of deadweight hanging around too, with the likes of Danny Drinkwater and Victor Moses barely getting a look in the last six months.
So there will need to be a lot of ins and outs, which may take at least a year to fully sort out.
Klopp and Guardiola faced the same problems at their respective clubs early on, and have only seen some success after throwing money around at will.
However, they were given full control over transfers, and while Sarri himself has admitted he prefers to take a backseat in the market, the club must heed his thoughts on signings, or positional reinforcements at the very least.
But if Chelsea show patience and wisdom – and current players follow in N’Golo Kante’s footsteps by studying Sarri’s style in order to adapt more effectively – there could be plenty eating humble pie in the next year or two.
Source: Read Full Article