Sarri is turning Chelsea into... Arsenal
In the past 15 years, the Blues' biggest rivals are not M.U or Liverpool, but Arsenal and Tottenham - teams in the same city. The three Londoners have always been in a "not-so-common" situation and always competed in title races.
Chelsea have always known how to build their image with a solid, sometimes rough but scientific and effective playing style over the past 15 years. But now under Sarri, the Italian coach is trying to turn the blue team into another version of Arsenal, a "faultytiki-taka" version. That has lost identity and the consequences that everyone can now recognize.
That philosophy stuck with Napoli - a club that plays with a technical interest, not Chelsea. Not only that, the use of "pass-through, pass-through" play cannot adapt to the fast, strong and close-range environment in England. Sarri's gradual failure is understandable.
Change is too late
The Italian is very conservative in his views, as is Sarri. Losing to Man City 0-6, losing to Bournemouth 0-4, being eliminated from the FA Cup, being kicked out of the race for the top 4 of the Premier League,... that was enough for Chelsea to always rely on the Jorginho bridge.
Having passed more than 3,000 times, this midfielder did not have 1 assist but he was still trusted by Sarri. It was only when Kepa gave Kepa a drink of water to the cup by bouncing his head in the FA Cup against Man City that Sarri accepted the change in the way he applied the philosophy to Chelsea. Unfortunately, when Jorginho scored his first goal for the club on 3 March, Chelsea lost everything.
Does Sarri understand what his students are thinking?
After each disastrous defeat, in his interviews, Sarri often shares that he does not understand what is happening and describes the mental state of his players on the pitch.
The Italian coach is the commander-in-chief on the coaching bench but also has to play the role of a close teacher, so he hopes to unite his students. However, what Sarri did was not as expected.
Sarri is someone who always keeps his distance from his students. The image of coaches going crazy and running back and forth every time the home team scores or wins, fans don't see him in Sarri. Conte may be too personal leading to the displeasure of some people, but his passion has never been denied.
There is a feeling that Chelsea players are not fighting for their coaches, they are playing just for the club or for themselves. This is a nightmare thing, leading to quiet conflicts in the dressing room.
Do not focus on youth training
Chelsea have been given a two-season ban on transfers, which is a fatal blow to their ambitions for at least the next 1-2 seasons.
The Blues have about 40 players on loan across Europe, who have not heard of him for a long time like Lucas Piazon are still on the staff of the Stamford Bridge team. If they ban transfers, will Chelsea call them back? The story is not that simple.
People like Piazon have long been a mid-level player in European football, let alone play in the Premier League. Therefore, when calling people back but not meeting their professional requirements, Chelsea only has disadvantages, both in terms of finances and achievements.
The Blues' only young talent is being mentioned a lot, but will the 18-year-old midfielder be able to carry Chelsea in the coming time if a big match (Hazard could join Real Madrid) comes this summer?
Sarri does not know how to be close to fans
Looking at Manchester United with Ole Solskjaer, the "Red Devils" coach did a very good job of this. From the perspective of a club legend, Solsa always makes fans feel happy with his traditional playing style and statements and concern for fans. Every time they watch the home team compete, M.U fans not only cheer for the players, but also shout and sing songs named Solskjaer in them.
Chelsea is different now, even if the home team scores, Sarri does not return to the home crowd to express his feelings. Remember in Conte's first match against The Blues against West Ham, this strategist seemed to go crazy and rush into the arms of home fans when the club won.
After a good start to the season, Chelsea are increasingly exposing their weaknesses under Sarri. In the context that owner Abramovich does not know when he will be able to set foot in England, the team is still like a "dinged snake".
If they cannot achieve specific goals this season such as top 4 of the Premier League or winning the Europa League, Sarri's smoking room at Stamford Bridge could be dismantled this summer.
