It started so well for Maurizio Sarri. He had an 18 game unbeaten run, stretching until the middle of November. However, since the turn of the year, pressure has built on the Italian as Chelsea have slipped down the table. A 4-0 defeat away to Bournemouth and a 6-0 demolition at the hands of Manchester City has seen some calling for him to be sacked. Chelsea currently lie in sixth, three points off of Arsenal in fourth place. It shows that Sarri needs time as Chelsea manager. It shows it is to early to sack him.
Too Soon to Sack Sarri
Sarri So Far
The Italian arrived at Stamford Bridge with a good reputation and was highly regarded across Europe. This was despite never winning a trophy.
Nonetheless, his infamous ‘Sarri-Ball’ tactics won him the Chelsea job after Antonio Conte’s sacking. The ‘Sarri-Ball’ style is built on high pressing and remaining compact when defending. It worked tentatively to begin with. It wasn’t perfect, but the Blues went unbeaten until the middle of November.
However, his infamous tactics could soon become a thing of the past at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea players reportedly asked the Italian to change his tactics before their recent 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. It seemingly worked, so he may ditch his favoured tactics altogether.
Chelsea Must Stick With Sarri
Results in recent months have been inconsistent for Maurizio Sarri. Embarrassing defeats at Bournemouth and Manchester City have seen him on the brink of being sacked. A win over Tottenham has certainly won him more time to take Chelsea back to the Champions League.
There are similarities between Sarri’s first season and Pep Guardiola’s first season at Manchester City. Guardiola failed to win a trophy in his first season. He struggled to adapt; some City fans even called for him to be sacked. Despite finishing third in his first season, Chelsea are currently just two points behind where City were at a similar stage of Guardiola’s first season. Is it a case of an overreaction?
The pressure will remain on Sarri until the end of the season at the very least. Zinedine Zidane is still out of a job after leaving Real Madrid. The Frenchman could be a man in demand, as Max Allegri is rumoured to be leaving Juventus. If Sarri was to leave Stamford Bridge, Zidane would be one of the favourites to take over from him.
Sarri needs time to build his legacy at Stamford Bridge. He has the ability to build a successful reign but needs the backing from the players and board alike. However, at Chelsea, this may be something hard to come by.
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