Chelsea have won a lot of trophies over the years, but they’ve failed to find longevity. Indeed, the Blues have chopped and changed their managers practically every other year, and at this point, they’re almost known more for that than they are their success on the field.
At present, it’s looking increasingly like Maurizio Sarri is going to face a similar fate – as he’s really struggling at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have really dropped off in the Premier League, and at present, they aren’t showing any signs of improvement.
In truth, there’s a few shades of Luiz Felipe Scolari, Chelsea’s doomed manager from 2008, in Sarri. Scolari, like Sarri, tried to change the system up, and he came with an incredible reputation. He also started the season fantastically, winning 10 out of Chelsea’s first 13 league games – losing only one. However, just like Sarri, his tenure began to wind down towards the end of the calendar year, and by the time the new year came around, the Blues were in chaos.
Chelsea aren’t yet in chaos, far from it. They’re still in contention in the top four, they’re still in Europe and they’re still in the two domestic cup competition. But things clearly aren’t rosy, and you can bet that the Stamford Bridge board aren’t happy.
However, the Blues would be foolish to make a rash decision. This is normally around the time that Chelsea managers begin to come under pressure, and Sarri is no different, but making a cutthroat decision on the Italian would be perhaps their worst managerial mistake yet.
After all, there have been some incredibly good signs at Chelsea. Earlier in the season, in particular, brilliant performances saw Chelsea amongst the best teams in the Premier League, with many individual displays deserving praise, not least from Maurizio Sarri. Chelsea had transformed almost overnight. But it was never going to be that smooth. That said, fans must remember those good times.
Let’s not forget, the task on Sarri’s hands is huge. He’s taking a team that, for the best part of a decade, has relied on counter-attacking football. That’s entirely different from Sarri’s methods, and that’s not something that can be fixed quickly. The fact that Chelsea are already, sometimes, looking like a well-oiled machine is a testament to Sarri’s ability as a manager. He’s managed to change them significantly in what is a short period of time. But he’s not a magician. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day – and you can’t turn N’Golo Kante into Allan or Cesar Azpilicueta into Elseid Hysaj in 6 months either.
Frankly, if when Marina Granovskaia brought on Sarri, she expected major success immediately – it’s her that should be facing the sack. She, and the rest of the Chelsea board, must have known that they were bringing in a project manager, rather than a quick fix. Managers like Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have all been in their roles for far longer than Sarri, and they’ve had time to build. If Chelsea are in the same position in a year, maybe it will be time for a rethink. But until then? Chelsea must give Sarri the time he needs.
So far, there aren’t any major noises out of Chelsea that Sarri’s future is being considered. For that, the board deserve credit. However, even if Chelsea’s next few weeks are miserable, the Blues can’t give up. Sarri must be supported, because he’s onto something special.
Thoughts?
