Chelsea’s new assistant to the manager Gianfranco Zola has asked for patience for Maurizio Sarri. Patience is rarely given by Chelsea fans or management.
Zola is, was, and always will be a true legend of Chelsea. Not the overused and undervalued version of the word today handed out to nearly anyone. An actual legend. So his words carry a great weight, not only with the fans but at the club itself.
Now that Zola is employed by the club, he influence has only grown. As assistant to the manager, Zola will be the liaison between Maurizio Sarri, the board, and the fans. One of his first requests has been to ask for patience for Sarri.
Few if any would describe Chelsea as a patient club in the last decade. The Blues understand that success is a process, but they have preferred those who hit the ground running. When the wheels fall off, the Blues have merely jumped on to the next working track. This has brought the club a great degree of success but little sustainability. The fans and club want a dynasty but they have rarely if ever given the patience required for one. Or the patience that Zola is requesting.
The only managers the Blues have ever given patience to are Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti. Mourinho’s first stint ended after a poor start to the season and a break down in relations with the board. The second, he was given a lot of leeway until the Blues had to make a decision to save themselves. Ancelotti, meanwhile, is still loved by many Chelsea fans and his sacking is viewed as one of the darkest marks on the club.
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No others know patience from fans or the club. Andre Villas-Boas, much like Sarri, was supposed to bring a new attacking style to Chelsea. But he turned key figures against him and few took his side in the fallout. Roberto Di Matteo had won the Champions League but his failure to make it out of the group the next season was enough to eject him. Antonio Conte had Chelsea playing some of their best football in years, but a lack of support in the second season and a media campaign saw nearly every side turn on him by the end of his tenure.
Now it is Sarri’s turn and Zola is asking for something incredibly rare. The fans are very much on board now, and given the transfer targets, the board is too. But will that last?
Sarri himself recognizes that he started slow at Napoli. It took his side several months to find consistency in results and even longer to play the brand of football he became known for. The question will be how much of a leash is Sarri given at Chelsea.
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Sarri’s style of attacking football will likely buy him time, but it will not save him if things are not going well. The Blues have become used to winning and challenging for silverware. If that can be kept up, Sarri will at least be given the patience for season two. But Zola is asking for a very rare and difficult thing from many. It will be up to the club and management to earn their patience.