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Chelsea has three days to save their 2018/2019 season

By Travis Tyler

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 11: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is seen in the stand prior to the Premier League match between Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge on December 11, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 11: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is seen in the stand prior to the Premier League match between Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge on December 11, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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Chelsea’s board loves to leave things to the last minute. Preseason begins on 9 July which gives three non-World Cup days to save the season.

The football world comes to a near stop during the World Cup. For most of a month, everyone is busy watching. The transfer market comes to a standstill. Only players not involved in the World Cup are on the move.

That is why it is important to take advantage of the lulls. When there is a rest day, clubs must jump on the opportunity to complete their business. If the matches kick back off, everything is merely delayed again.

Maurizio Sarri’s saga has dragged on and on and on. The loan army of last season has already returned to Chelsea for training. The first team not involved with the World Cup returns on 9 July. That gives Chelsea three days without any World Cup matches to finally get the deal over the line. Or, in other words, three days to save their season.

The fact that this saga has dragged on so long is ridiculous. Chelsea could have paid Sarri’s release clause over a month ago, but chose to haggle. Then they wanted to haggle with Antonio Conte for what he is rightfully owed. Oh, then they had to wait for all these release clauses on Napoli player to expire when July began. And yet, nothing has happened yet.

Things should move forward on 4 or 5 July. That failing, the deals need to happen on 8 July at the absolute latest. That would be a quick turnaround for Sarri, but Chelsea have kicked this can so far down the road that they can see the dead end. On 9 July, Sarri must be at Cobham to conduct training and meet his squad.

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Then, the business of transfers can begin. It is already a short preseason with several key figures returning late. New players (and really all players) will have a very short time to get up to speed with Sarri’s tactics. If he is not in place on 9 July, Chelsea can write next season off as a failure early.

Of course, the man who will be blamed for that will be Sarri, just as Conte has been blamed entirely by the board for the previous season. The board fails to act promptly or strengthen the squad and they scapegoat the manager. But having the current fog over the club when preseason starts would be simply disastrous and embarrassing.

Even worse, what if Laurent Blanc is still waiting by the phone for Chelsea to call him in? If this drags out till Sunday and Chelsea are adamant that Conte will go, would they fold and bring Blanc in? That would make the entire ridiculous Sarri saga a waste of everyone’s time.

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The board must kick into high gear while the world takes a breath. Chelsea players and fans alike are waiting for the club to act. If the board does not, the former will start to hit the ejector button. The latter will return to Stamford Bridge with a fury. The clock is ticking.

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