Sarri wins while many others falter. But success carries a price tag.
Of all the managers in the Premier League this season, Maurizio Sarri of Chelsea has been the most criticized. He has been booed by the club’s enraged supporters, had missiles thrown at him during matches, and has had the ‘F…’ word tossed at him by his fans.
Journalists have rebuked him for the wrong substitution choices, and he even had a row with his shot-stopper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, after Kepa refused to come off the pitch.
Courtesy: The Independent
Indeed, Sarri has seen it all!
During his first league match as Chelsea manager, Sarri compromised Ngolo Kante’s central midfield position to accommodate his former player at Napoli, Jorginho, whom Fabregas label as ‘Sarri’s son.’ Kante, who’s known for his expertise in the central midfield role, won the League with Leicester City, an FA Cup, and a World Cup with France last summer.
Jorginho was at the center of the midfield with either Ross Barkley or Mateo Kovacic occupying the left-hand side of the midfield three, and with Kante deployed on the right flank of the midfield in an attacking role, which was something new to Kante. The criticism over the tweak in the possession, and the compromising of Kante’s play were there, but issues were overshadowed by Sarri’s flying start to the season, which saw winning the first 18 games –the best record, by far, for a new foreign manager.
Then the team slumped in the second half of the season. Sarri lost out on the League Cup to Manchester City and was then thrashed 4-0 and 6-0 by Bournemouth and Manchester City, respectively, in the league.
Courtesy: Sky Sports
Though Chelsea had a tough time collecting results, Sarri stuck with his preferred tactics by starting either one of the two and substituting one with the other. That approached angered Chelsea fans.
The fans insisted that Chelsea teenage sensation, Hudson Odoi–together with Ruben Loftus Cheek–be given starting berths. They expressed anguish over the fact that Jorginho passes the ball sideways instead of forward. In the Premier League, that’s an ineffective tactic.
It was only after repeated mess-ups that Sarri started fielding the two players as fans suggested. And that’s when Chelsea’s fortunes started changing from worse to better.
And on Sunday afternoon, Sarri’s Chelsea qualified for the Champions League, while other teams floundered, including United, Arsenal, and Tottenham.
But there he stands–Sarri, the most criticized manager in the Premier League–getting his side over the line!
