The Maurizio Sarri revolution is well underway at Chelsea and the new brand of football which he has installed at the club has certainly had the desired effect thus far.
Indeed, Sarri’s sceptics were out in full force after the Blues were comfortably beaten by Manchester City at Wembley in the Community Shield, but those sceptics have been replaced by plaudits in the early stages of the season.
Sarri has found a winning formula which is entertaining to watch – a balance which Antonio Conte failed to find – and his approach has earned him gushing praise throughout the British media.
But the arrival of a new manager is rarely good news for everybody associated with the club as a new style can leave players redundant – Sarri’s appointment is no exception to the rule.
One of the biggest losers of Chelsea’s summer appointment has been a player who thrived under Antonio Conte in a 3-5-2 system, namely Victor Moses (valued at £18 million by Transfermarkt).
The Nigerian winger come full-back became a mainstay under the Italian in a new-look role, but the reintroduction of a system containing two centre-backs rather than three has seen him fall down the pecking order.
So far this season Moses has played just 26 minutes of Premier League football, although he was handed a full 90 minutes against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
For a player who was consistently in the first-team under Conte, though, it’s a concerning time for Moses, and on the evidence of how the season has panned out so far it’s fair to say his time at Stamford Bridge could be coming to an end in the near future.
If his situation does no dramatically improve in the coming months then there’s no doubt Moses will be open to the possibility of a short-term loan move in January, potentially opening the door to Premier League strugglers to clinch a season-defining agreement.
With Willian and Cesar Azpilicueta both firmly established as Chelsea’s right-winger and right-back respectively, the writing is on the wall for Moses after more than six years with the club.
Chelsea fans – thoughts? Let us know below!
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