Chelsea: Maurizio Sarri’s mythology is only a positive when it is his

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has quite a few myths in his defense. But when it is someone else in a similar situation, they no longer seem to apply.

Maurizio Sarri is a manager with such a mythology from his supporters that he could be mistaken for one of the world’s best managers. Primary among these myths is his rise from obscurity to a club like Chelsea.

Sarri rose his way through the Italian leagues over decades. Eventually, he landed at Empoli, got them promoted, and kept them up. That earned him a job at Napoli to much dismay of the fans at the time, but over three years he put together an entertaining side that kept tapping Juventus on the shoulder in the title race. This is made to be a positive for Sarri as he improved teams over time and was never handed a job. His lack of trophies is more down to the teams he was at than any fault on his part.

But whenever a manager or player with similar circumstances is mentioned in connection with Chelsea, the idea is derided. “That manager at Chelsea? Have the standards slipped that much?” or “That player? That is how the club becomes midtable!”. These myths are made to be a positive when it is Sarri, but rarely when it is someone else.

Mind, terrible sources are at best conversation starters, so for now any links with Nuno Espirito Santo, Javi Gracia, or Frank Lampard should be taken with a boulder of salt. But the reaction to the notion of any of the three is quite telling.

The achievements of all three are nearly disregarded for any negative worth latching onto, something that did not happen with Sarri by the same folks.

Nuno may have his side flying high in the Premier League in their first season but “he lost to Huddersfield twice and blew a 2-0 lead to Watford in the FA Cup!”. Ignored is how he rebuilt Wolves in a season to win the Championship, his success at clubs before, and his current success this season.

Gracia may have gotten Watford clicking again but frankly no one knows what to make of him so therefore he must not be good enough. Ignored is how he rebuilt this Watford side almost overnight to make them good again.

And Lampard is in his first season of management with a bare bones budget squad but “cannot wait till the Bridge turns on him too!” is a rallying cry made with little evidence or recognition of just how much Lampard means to the club. Ignored is the scant resources available to him at Derby County and how it is a small miracle that they are still even fighting for a playoff spot.

This can even work when Eddie Howe or Mauricio Pochettino are inevitably mentioned again. Howe took Bournemouth to the Premier League in six seasons and has kept them there but somehow that is seen as an underdog story beneath the prestige of Chelsea. Unlikely as Pochettino coming to Chelsea may be, his lack of trophies is used as a beating stick against him despite Sarri’s cabinet collecting just as much dust.

Another example of this weird discrepancy is Ralph Hasenhuttl. Not even a year ago he was getting plaudits for his work at RB Leipzig. But now that he has taken over Southampton, there is little consideration given to him. He has “lowered himself” in the eyes of some.

This same idea even extends to players Chelsea. Many want Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, and Reece James back at Chelsea next season. Many more will say “yeah but it is just the Championship”. These players may be some of the Championship’s best, but that simply does not matter for some.

And this is not just a problem with Chelsea and Chelsea fans. It is a problem with five of the top six. The notion that someone playing or managing below the top six of England can do a good job once brought into that exclusive club is almost always a nonstarter. Look at Arsenal’s managerial search last season for instance. On paper, someone like Howe could have made sense for them. But he never had an honest shot at the job.

There is a sense that these myths only matter when they start in other leagues. Sarri is applauded for rising through the ranks and getting the Napoli job. But Howe under similar circumstances is unlikely to be offered a job by five of the top six anytime soon.

Only Tottenham seem to buck this trend with players and managers. Pochettino was hired due to his experience in the Premier League with Southampton, something no other top six club seems to consider as a positive. Even Dele Alli was brought from the lower leagues and almost immediately trusted in the squad. The chances of this happening in the top six outside Tottenham feels remote.

This is not a knock on Sarri’s rise to a club like Chelsea. It is a knock against myths counting as a positive for one but a negative for another. It makes little sense to applaud Sarri’s tenacity to rise through the ranks while disregarding Howe, Nuno, Gracia, or even Lampard for their work in “lesser circumstances”.

If Sarri does not last into next season, the idea of a manager with experience in England should not be disregarded simply because they are not at the top of their game. After all, Sarri was supported for a similar rise as part of his mythology. Why not give Nuno, Gracia, Lampard, or Howe the same positives from the same myth?