Maurizio Sarri’s failure to connect with Chelsea could be his undoing

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has failed to build a connection with the fans inside and out of Stamford Bridge. It could prove to be his undoing.

Stamford Bridge has become a library as of late. Not because the fans do not want the team to win but because they see so little on the field to get excited about whether they cheer or not.

This has turned into a “fan protest” as season ticket holders begin to sell off their seats. Realistically, it is not much of a protest at all as their will still be the same amount in the stadium if the tickets get sold. But it is the makings of something bigger and a hint at some of the underlying issues at Chelsea.

Fans are growing disconnected from the club. They feel no connection to the players that frequent the playing field. They feel no connection to the club as an organization as the board makes increasingly business like decisions over footballing reasons. And perhaps most immediately, they feel no connection to the manager Maurizio Sarri, which could ultimately be his undoing.

Sarri is not to blame for all of Chelsea’s problems. But as is often the case, the manager is the figurehead for many of them as they are often the result of the problems. Sarri may be a good manager, but he has done little to build a bridge between himself and the fans and that is why the fans both in the Bridge and out are growing increasingly tired of him and less supportive.

Sarri came in with a mandate to change the style of Chelsea’s play. But many saw nothing wrong with the style and saw little reason why a winning formula should be changed. That was perhaps the first disconnect but not a widespread one.

There is a hunger by Chelsea fans to finally, after over a decade, to see one of their own break through and become a world beater. Andreas Christensen was close but he struggles for game time now. Ruben Loftus-Cheek cannot stay fit. And Callum Hudson-Odoi was being used so little that he had to try to force a move to Bayern Munich to even start seeing the pitch half of the time he should have.

Comparisons will also be drawn to previous Chelsea managers. Even when dropping towards the relegation zone, the fans adored Jose Mourinho. They turned on the players after his sacking and it took the Special One sneaking off to Manchester for passions to cool. But now that he is free of United, the fans are gobbling up everything he says once again. Mourinho felt like one of them.

Antonio Conte did too, at first. Fans were immediately won over when he jumped into the crowd to celebrate the winner in his first competitive match. That intensity carried on as Conte mentioned the fans time and time again in interviews and celebrated like a mad man with them. The turn against Conte could perhaps be in part due to his souring on the touchline. The love the fans felt for the Italian was seemingly betrayed and some began to turn.

But it is hard to find instances of Sarri mentioning the fans at all. Even as they were cursing his style he said he was focused on the pitch, not them. He was focused on his way, not the fans. And there lies the disconnect.

Sarri has not tried to make himself part of the Chelsea community while at the same time tearing things down. He comes off cold and almost robotic and the fans are growing tired.

Mourinho’s connection to the fans ultimately did not save him, but it was part of why he stayed on as long as he did and why he still had so much support after his sacking. Conte’s connection to the fans is likely what allowed him to see out the season and even have some asking for him to stay afterwards.

Sarri has not built that safety net. And while the season ticket holders selling their seats may be a small knock, it will only grow if things do not improve. And without that safety net, Sarri will need to improve things quickly before those seats are left empty.