Maurizio Sarri is not the man to take Chelsea forward.

Chelsea have a massive three months ahead now and need to make some serious decisions that will have an affect on our immediate future. Forget the transfer ban and whether our appeal will be accepted to have the ban delayed by a transfer window allowing us to sign players this summer, Chelsea’s problems are far worse. 

Chelsea have no identity as a football team. We have a manager in charge who was brought in for his philosophy alone and not any form of silverware or accomplished success. A philosophy that delivered good, attractive football in Italy where two or three teams challenge for the title every year, with most not being anywhere near good enough but in the league to make up the numbers. Half of them are Championship sides at best but would still struggle there. But it was deemed good enough for the club who sacked a serial winner in Antonio Conte and his proven track record – a decision that will cost us the top four this season.

The manager does not know his best eleven. He makes changes to his starting eleven in every single game. The players know that even if they play well, create chances and score goals, they could be on the bench for the next game. There is no continuity, no willingness to change tactics or our approach and we continue to persist with a player brought in the summer, to play in front of our back four that gives us literally no protection at all. In Italy it was easy and Jorginho forged his reputation because he never had to deal with the same intensity, the same physicality and the demands in the Premier League week-in, week out. Here he continues to struggle as he has done all season and you only have to look at some of the goals we have conceded to see that we needed to change that position months ago to protect our back-four.

Maurizio Sarri stumbled across a tactical solution that works against Manchester City in the League Cup Final and the following game against Tottenham. We switched in attack to a 4-2-3-1 formation with one of our midfielders holding position alongside the Italian in front of our back four. It worked a treat but, almost immediately, those ideals and principles have been discarded to revert to the philosophy that worked at the beginning of the season but as teams have studied Sarri’s style, and have worked out how to stop Chelsea, we now struggle.

It’s the guys stubborn ideas, his point-blank refusal to adapt to our league, to adapt to different tactical formations that we face up and down the league with his refusal to try something different in so many games this season. At times it has been obvious that we are not going to unlock the door or score, that is the biggest problem for all of us. At least Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte tried to come up different in-game solutions. Both were not afraid to change formation, to adapt to what was being played out in front of them to then see if they could alter the result. This guy just makes like-for-like changes which keeps it simple for our opponents to deal with.

Last night against Burnley was another example of everything I have described in this blog post plus another factor that has plagued us all year – performing where we need to be for 90 minutes. Under Sarri we seem to get 20-25-minute bursts of playing high tempo and creating good chances, to then switch off, slow it down and lose our goal-threat. It so frustrating to which Sarri moans about in his post-match press conferences but still does little to try and impact the game from the sidelines.
Chelsea have no established spine that you implement into the team as the base, to then build the rest of the team around. We were blessed for years with Cech, Terry, Lampard and Drogba. Now? Kepa, Luiz, Jorginho and Higuain? Do me a favour!

The problem we have is that in a one-off game, we can turn up and beat anyone. Yes, that has been few and far between this season but the issue we have is if we do that in the Europa League resulting in Champions League qualification next season, Maurizio Sarri would deem the season a success and would expect to be in charge beyond the summer. At that point I cannot see Chelsea looking to make the change that is required to take our club forward. The thought of that is something we do not want to consider having seen what we have so far.

Chelsea are in turmoil having invested big money in making the managerial changes they have last summer to find themselves in the same situation. With an impending transfer ban meaning that our focus will be forced to promoting from within, it’s clear that Sarri is not the man to do that having taken little time to have a reported interest if you believe the press.

Once again, it’s important to make the point that we do not know or have any idea if these players are good enough to form a football team that will challenge for the top four next season. We obviously hope they are but there are no guarantees here.

Without the top four and if we lose the Europa League in the next few weeks, Chelsea will find themselves as far away from challenging for major honours and the top four as they have ever been in the last fifteen-years. If you then take Eden Hazard away from our squad its then difficult to see how on earth, you replace him.

I am sorry but bearing all this in mind, the future of our football club/team beyond the summer and having sat and watched Sarri-ball fail miserably falling flat on its arse, it’s time for the decision makers at our club to sit up and take notice.

Maurizio Sarri is not the man to take Chelsea forward. Sarri out before it’s far too late.

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