Chelsea do not know how to be patient with their managers and think the solution to everything is to sack and start over. Maurizio Sarri deserves his criticism, but not to lose his job.
Chelsea has won the Premier League twice in the past five seasons. Over the course of these five seasons Stamford Bridge has seen three managers. Both Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte won the title and were sacked the following season, with Conte winning the FA Cup in that second season.
Chelsea brought in Maurizio Sarri from Napoli in hopes of winning the title again. Maurizio Sarri sets up his team with an attacking philosophy, which is completely different from his predecessors Mourinho and Conte, both of whom were defensive geniuses. Transition takes time and patience. Chelsea’s management never has never really had patience.
Sacking managers is almost a club tradition. Perhaps the Blues should have learnt something from fellow Londoners Arsenal, who kept Arsene Wenger as manager for 22 years. OK, maybe not go so far as to tolerate such a long spell with no titles and no European trophies, but the board should still give managers a fair amount of time.
Switching from a defensive scheme to an attacking scheme takes time. The squad had been playing under a defensive setting for their entire time at Chelsea, with the few exceptions of those players who arrived this season.
In the beginning the players seemed to be adjusting quickly. Chelsea were unbeaten for 13 Premier League games and were the only unbeaten team in Europe until November. Eden Hazard said he liked playing under Sarri and that Sarri’s philosophy suited him. It was all smiles back then.
From “Sarriball” to “Sarri out,” the drastic change in atmosphere and form was unexpected. Chants of sacking a manager in his first season, when the season isn’t over, is a bit too much.
Sarri deserves his share of blame, but he shouldn’t be taking the hit for everything happening at the club. He most definitely does not deserve the sack. This will raise a few eyebrows.
Sarri has been stubborn with this tactics and formations. No denying that. He has not dropped players who performed poorly, and he has an odd penchant for playing players out of position (part of his stubbornness with tactics and formations). This is what he is responsible for and should be criticized for.
Sarri, though, is not responsible for the players’ performances and common sense. There have been numerous instances where the players have made shambolic errors.
Mentioning David Luiz’s and Marcos Alonso’s inability to recall the basics of defending; Willian’s and Pedro’s lost spark on the wing; and Chelsea’s striker problems would be repetitive and boring.
Even if the tactics were poor and predictable, Chelsea losing 6-0 to Manchester City cannot solely be blamed on tactics. A good portion falls on the players’ inability to perform that day. The same players lost on a penalty shoot out to Manchester City the next week, and the contrast in performance was surreal.
After the 6-0 embarrassment the players still said they were behind Sarri. The locker room certainly is behind Sarri.
The Premier League is much more difficult to win than other leagues. Pep Guardiola didn’t win the title in his first season and Jurgen Klopp is still to win a trophy with Liverpool. Those clubs’ management and fans have given the coaches time. For sure, Klopp and Pep adapt and change their methods. Sarri, too, is now realizing and making changes. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus Cheek starting, and Jorginho coming off, are signs of it.
Sarri, even after all the criticism, has remained humble, calm and sided with the fans, saying he understands their frustration and expectations.
Poor upper management is to be blamed for Sarri’s predicament, too. Chelsea’s front office never plans for the future. Sarri mentioned he never receives a call from owner Roman Abramovich. The players sent out on loan are never heard of again.
Sacking managers has sadly become a habit in football lately. Real Madrid have sacked two managers in just nine months. Other leagues have been guilty of the same. Sacking a manager and bringing in a new manager only makes sense when you give them time. Sacking coaches again and again shows no signs of stability, something every club should strive for.
Antonio Conte’s sacking after winning the FA Cup was harsh. Sarri was brought in on a three year contract. He should be allowed to stay on for next season at least. Sacking him would make no sense and would compound the issues around the club.