Two versions of Chelsea are becoming prevalent. One is Maurizio Sarri’s dream and the other is stuck in the past. Sarri needs to support the right one.
There is an old parable about everyone having two wolves inside of them. One is all things good and the other all things bad. The wolves are fighting and the one that wins is the one that is fed.
Chelsea is in a similar sort of situation. On one side is Sarrismo and all the flair that goes with it. On the other is the beaten and battered team from last season that seems to be sloppy at best and apathetic at worst. The one that wins will be the one that Sarri supports the most.
This back and forth was prevalent against Crystal Palace but it has also been seen in plenty of other matches this season. Chelsea was terrible in the first half against Palace. They were sloppy in their passes and uninterested in operating as a team.
The second half was what Sarri will have wanted to see. The squad was fast and dynamic and the passes crisp and accurate. But the fact that Chelsea keeps sliding into the sloppiness of last season is concerning this far into the season.
More so, there seem to be no repercussion for the main starters if they fall into their old habits. David Luiz made a particularly Luiz like error in judgement and then blamed Antonio Rudiger when the ball went into the Chelsea net. But Luiz will start again. Willian was also incredibly sloppy as he gave away the ball time and time again. But he will probably start yet another game in his long streak.
It took Eden Hazard and Mateo Kovacic coming on to put Chelsea back into Sarrismo mode. Hazard added the spark and Kovacic added the shield that ultimately pulled the Blues through to dominance. But Chelsea should not need them to save themselves against Crystal Palace.
The fact that these slow, sloppy starts keep happening is concerning. Not nearly as much as they were last season but concerning nonetheless. Part of it is on the players Sarri sticks by no matter what such as Willian and Luiz.
Ultimately, Sarrismo will only win out if the players best suited to it are playing. That includes the most in form players, something Sarri only seems willing to do within the midfield.
It is, of course, early days for Sarri himself. But he should be concerned with how the same, age old patterns keep popping up time and time again. Eventually, those habits will win out as Chelsea loses out. So it is imperative that Sarri throws his support behind those that show the best traits of Sarrismo.
Willian and Luiz (and others) may be fine in the short term but they will not be in the long term. If they cannot fully grasp the plan by November, then other options need to be considered. Pedro and Andreas Christensen, or even Ethan Ampadu and Callum Hudson-Odoi, deserve more than they have been given. If some players want to remain in the pits of last season, then Sarri must turn towards those prepared for the new era.