With Maurizio Sarri just a distant ship’s smoke on the horizon it’s a time for new beginning in southwest London. Chelsea FC have seen many managers before him, they will see many more to come.
Of course, we’re not entering new ground here, but with Maurizio Sarri being the first manager to depart Chelsea of his own volition under the ownership of Roman Abramovich, who knows?
If you didn’t pick up on it, part of that first line comes from Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb. It’s the kind music a typical Yer Da gets off on. They wrote it back in 1979, years before Chelsea even existed, but those words aptly suit the Italian’s departure.
Joking aside, I’ve supported Chelsea since even before that song hit the record shops (as they were known back in the day). I’ve seen 25 managers come and go, and Sarri is just another as far as I’m concerned. Frank Lampard may well be the next and, of course, that will be so uplifting after the season that’s just gone. But, and he’ll know this better than most, he’s just going to be the next manager before the next one.
However, Sarri did his job – to a degree – in fairly difficult circumstances, it has to be said. Champions League football will be the order of the day at Chelsea next season, but let’s not forget it was the capitulation of the other teams competing for those places that really did the trick. Sarri was in the dugout when he wasn’t out of his technical area or stomping towards the tunnel, but by his own admission, he was unable to motivate the players.
Comments like that were never going to endear him to a fanbase already divided by his tactics and team selections.
Sarri was just not user-friendly. He always looked out of place, and while I was comfortably numb with my Chelsea, he was outside of his personal comfort zone. We now know that was part of his reasoning in leaving Chelsea. There’s nothing wrong with that. Like Alvaro Morata, Sarri has taken the easy option by going home and absolving his responsibilities.
There’s no sorrow, though. Sometimes in life things just don’t go the way you’d like them.
I’m glad Chelsea were able to get him that first trophy. His face when he looked at his medal in that well-used clip after the Europa League victory was almost child-like and touching. Had he shown that kind emotion during his time in charge, maybe those within the stadium could have taken to him.
Maurizio Sarri’s supporters may see or understand such things, but those relationships are an important part of being a fan of a football club. There has to be an actual connection between the team and those attending matches. That simply wasn’t happening at Stamford Bridge last season.
Sarri’s style of football in Italy may well have been outstanding. But in the less refined lower reaches of the Premier League, that style was man-marked into oblivion.
But now is not the time to gloat or be bitter, it’s simply a time to move on. Chelsea’s eternal conveyor belt of managers is about to stop briefly and let someone else take their turn in the spotlight of London’s premier Premier League team. I’ll be welcoming my 26th manager to the club. If that is to be the legend – and make no mistake, he fits that criteria – that is Frank Lampard, then there’s a degree of uncertainty as to what we’ll see in terms of management.
What can be said though is that the touchline will have someone – a few people actually, if the rumours are true – who know what Chelsea is all about.
A management team in touch with those who support the team will be a breath of fresh, smoke-free air at the club.