Chelsea is yet to appoint a replacement for Maurizio Sarri. With players reporting for preseason in a few days, they need to get on with it.
It’s that time again. In a week or so every major club commences their preparation for the new season. Every team’s manager / head coach will be finalizing their plans for preseason. True to form, Chelsea as yet has not officially appointed anyone to undertake that job.
The start of preseason in the past two summers was anything but according to plan at Chelsea. Antonio Conte was in charge going into the 2017/18 season, but there were a lot of uncertainties about every other thing.
Diego Costa was already informed via SMS to find a new club. His replacement, Alvaro Morata was brought in a few weeks into the preseason and with the Blues out on tour. Morata met the team in Asia, rather than at Cobham. Star player Eden Hazard was injured after international duty. Many other players were only signed close to the end of the transfer window. Some of them even arrived with long-term injuries.
Those issues caused a distinct drop on the team’s performance. The team was always short two or three players, right from the start. Antonio Conte was not happy with the squad and he made it more than clear.
Last season was even worse. Preseason started with Antonio Conte in charge, even though it was evident it was merely matter of days before Maurizio Sarri was brought in. Sarri took charge mere days before the team set out for preseason.
Yet again, issues in the preseason made the season tough for the club. Even though the team started well the lack of proper understanding of Sarri’s tactics and his persistence with his early choices of of players made it difficult for the club to perform as expected.
Things currently look like the board was not learned their lessons from the past two years. Maurizio Sarri has left Chelsea for Juventus. Frank Lampard is expected to take charge for the upcoming season.
However, Sarri has been gone and already had his welcome press conference at Juventus, while no announcement has come so far from Stamford Bridge. Players are expected to return to begin preseason on Wednesday. On the side of stability, because of the transfer ban the incoming manager will know everyone who is at his disposal.
All he requires is enough time to access those players and decide whom he wants in his team.
Delay in the appointment means fewer days for the new man in charge. Chelsea cannot have another season with uncertainty, and that starts now, with preseason. As things stand Chelsea are set to embark on yet another season with full of uncertainty.