Chelsea Sarrismo part two: Does the midfield get it?

Centermidfielders’ role in Sarrismo

At Napoli, one centermid had to be an advanced playmaker and the other a more box to box player. That formula is not totally unchanged at Chelsea, but Sarri does seem alright with the two roles being blended so long as both players work in tandem.

With the ball, they need to be looking for the fast through ball to the front three. If that is not an option, they should be drawing the opponent to them so they can create space further in. One may also need to drop in and help Jorginho with the buildup.

Off the ball, they need to press aggressively to win the ball back quickly or funnel the opponent towards a place that they will lose possession.  As one goes up, one stays deeper to protect the defense.

N’Golo Kante

Does he understand?: Sarri seems hard on Kante in pressers but in reality he needs the Frenchman almost as much as Jorginho. Kante is the midfielder who best understands the defensive side of things whether that be containing, pressing, or tackling. Offensively, he has a great knack for finding pockets of space. Unfortunately, he often does not know what to do when he gets the ball in those areas so he makes a safe pass away from danger.

Is he ideal?: Kante is ideal for any system. But there have been growing pains under Sarri. His tackling numbers have dropped because it is more about forcing a mistake and less about winning the ball back. Strangely, he also seems to be far more attacking than most of the other midfielders. The whole midfield has a balance issue but Kante is as close as anyone to finding it.

What is the way forward?: It has been a very long time since Kante played as someone tasked with scoring and assisting. He still is not, but simply given the space he can find if he figures out how to shoot rather than pass away from danger the rest of the world better watch out. That is really the only improvement he can make because he is such a complete player.

Mateo Kovacic

Does he understand?: Kovacic understands the possession and defensive side of Sarrismo very well. The offensive? Not so much. As always, Sarrismo is fast and vertical. Kovacic likes to slow the play and assess his options. There is nothing inherently wrong with that other than it goes against what the philosophy is about.

Is he ideal?: At times, absolutely. Again, no other midfielder on the left can offer the defensive solidarity that Kovacic does. But he has no offense. He will not break between lines for a pass or with the ball. He does not take shots or provide through ball assists. That is fine if the front three is tweaked to cope, but it has not been. So while Kovacic is a fantastic player, he is not ideal against opponents that need to see the speed and ferocity of actual Sarrismo.

What is the way forward?: Solution one is to improve his attacking instincts. The midfield imbalanced can be fixed through training and practice but so far it seems the same as it has been. Solution two is to save Kovacic for tougher opponents that come at Chelsea. Those are the fixtures where he shines best. Does Chelsea try to buy him? Probably unless Real Madrid asks for some insane amount.