Maurizio Sarri brought Ross Barkley along to the Europa League pre-game press conference, all but promising a start for the Englishman. Sarri could play Barkley anywhere across the front line, if not his usual spot in attacking midfield.
Maurizio Sarri promised 5-7 changes from the starting XI that defeated Liverpool on Saturday. Sarri said either Eden Hazard or Callum Hudson-Odoi would start, but not both. There is no reason Eden Hazard should be called into service against MOL Vidi. Since Pedro is still out with injury and Willian the Premier League regular in his place, Victor Moses is Sarri’s top option for an experienced back-up winger.
He strongly implied Ruben Loftus-Cheek would start and talked at length about Cesc Fabregas. Since Ross Barkley joined him on the dais, Chelsea could have a completely different midfield. However, Sarri could also put Barkley in any position along the front line to test a few different looks for his forwards.
Barkley has the build, direct dribbling and willingness to shoot of a Sarri false-nine. He has a blend of attributes from both Olivier Giroud (physique and physicality) and Alvaro Morata (on-the-ball skills, creative runs, long-distance shots). Barkley gives Chelsea the barreling runs up the centre to draw defenders towards him. This creates space elsewhere around the box for the wingers, but Barkley also has the size and desire to take the play on himself. Without over-simplifying the matter, Barkley is the closest thing Chelsea have to Michy Batshuayi, who remains the best option for solving the Blues’ issues at centre-forward. But since Batshuayi is with Valencia for the season, Barkley is a valid – if “false” – option.
Playing Barkley as the false-nine is also a way for Chelsea to have him and Mateo Kovacic on the pitch together. They currently are battling for the same spot in Chelsea’s midfield. Taking Barkley out of the midfield is the only way they can play together. They would be a beastly tandem through the centre of the pitch, and could solve Sarri’s dilemma of wanting to play the ball centrally from midfield to the top of the box before sending it out to the wingers and then back to the centre. Kovacic-Barkley would give Chelsea control of the centre the way Eden Hazard gives them control of the wings.
Maurizio Sarri could also play Barkley on either wing with Alvaro Morata in the centre. Sarri could play Barkley on the left and have Victor Moses on the right as the more experienced Chelsea winger. Or he could have Barkley as the voice of experience on the right and Callum Hudson-Odoi on the left.
Barkley and Moses may be too similar for Sarri’s tastes as they are both explosive, powerful dribblers who are better running towards the box (Barkley across the top, Moses diagonally in) than lining up a cross. Hudson-Odoi would offer a faster, more clever option to counter-balance Barkley. Whereas Barkley can’t help but telegraph his runs and succeeds through size and speed, Hudson-Odoi can take the more mazey, well-timed approach to getting behind the defence.
The other advantage to playing Barkley in the front line is giving Ruben Loftus-Cheek his best role in the midfield. Loftus-Cheek is behind Kovacic and Barkley for the third (read: not Jorginho, not N’Golo Kante) midfield spot. Giving Loftus-Cheek that spot against MOL Vidi sets him up for success in the game, even if it will not much help his chances for the Premier League squad.
Most likely, Sarri will stick with convention and play the two Englishmen in the midfield. With little risk of over-confidence, Sarri can have Loftus-Cheek, Barkley and Cesc Fabregas all high up the pitch in offence-oriented roles. The centre-backs and Emerson Palmieri (presumably) should be more than capable of interdicting any attempts to break out and slow MOL Vidi’s counter-attacks enough for the midfielders to take up their defensive line of four.
Maurizio Sarri has the opportunity to rotate his positions as well as his players. He may not want to get too adventurous until the Blues lock down first place in their Europa League group, but he has some issues to address with his Premier League XI.
Sooner or later, if the centre-forwards do not produce, Sarri will need to take action. He may not want to bring Eden Hazard off the wing, where he has been in such top form the last few weeks. But he will also not try something for the first time in the Premier League. Among his choices for Thursday night are whether MOL Vidi will turn out better for Alvaro Morata’s confidence than PAOK, or if he needs to start working on Plan B. B as in Barkley.
Better Ross Barkley practice the false-nine role under the Thursday night lights at Stamford Bridge than Sarri feels his hands are tied a few weeks or months down the road.