Chelsea 2018/19 - 3rd and European Champions. Sarri, not sorry

[duffer]

Nothing team. Love it.

Above you lot!

 

[BluesJr]

Above you lot!

How’s your form?

 

[duffer]

How’s your form?

Played 23, won 14, drawn 5 and lost 4.

 

[Peyroteo]

And that is a huge problem for them.

I think it's only a problem because they don't have the players upfront to make up for it. With Higuain coming in I think they'll solve the balance issue at least until the end of the season.

 

[bond19821982]

Put Giroud on but doesn't play to his strengths. I didn't see a single cross coming over to him.

 

[Devil81]

Slowly regressing as a team due to poor investment. I can see them finishing outside the top four and Sarri being another managerial casualty unless he can secure the Europa league.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

The main argument of appointing Sarri was that he improves what he already has and won't ask for many signings- so counting on Higuain to reinvigorate their season is a bit ironical.

With Morata's form they were going to desperately need a striker regardless of manager.

 

[Canagel]

Yes, but he's not that kind of midfielder. He shouldn't have that responsability, it's clearly not a job for a player like him.

The 4-3-3 seems a big problem. . To make it work you need at least one creative midfielder that leads in goals/assists . why did they get Kovacic then if he's not that player? It's disaster really coupled with toothless attack that's the end result.

 

[KM]

Above you lot!

We've only started playing football in the last month or so tbf.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Above you lot!

We had a manager trying to get sacked for the first 4 months of the season though.

 

[BluesJr]

Played 23, won 14, drawn 5 and lost 4.

How many points were ahead were you a month ago? How many now? Squeaky bum time for Sarriball.

 

[KM]

With Morata's form they were going to desperately need a striker regardless of manager.

So he hasn't been able to get the best out of Morata then?

 

[duffer]

How many points were ahead were you a month ago? How many now? Squeaky bum time for Sarriball.

Sorry, I can't hear you from all they way back there in 6th!

Despite what you lot would like to believe, the season didn't start a month ago.

 

[Paxi]

Nothing team. Love it.

Stop pretending.

 

[Paxi]

Sarri ball(s)

 

[Keeps It tidy]

So he hasn't been able to get the best out of Morata then?

Who would have? I feel you are trying to poke holes in argument no one really made.

 

[Adisa]

Neither of them are good enough. That's why Morata is leaving already. His mistake is the use of Jorginho and Kante/zero creativity in midfield.

Neither of them are good enough but both of them are better than Hazard in that false 9 nonsense.

 

[KM]

Who would have? I feel you are trying to poke holes in argument no one really made.

Do you actually read posts or use your brain or do you live in your make believe world where United fans suggested Evra as United manager?

 

[Brwned]

Who would have? I feel you are trying to poke holes in argument no one really made.

I agree with @KM. There were plenty of comments in this thread about how his team would be organic, and the individuals will be a lot less important because the system is so potent. If he can turn Mertens into a supreme goalscorer then he'll be able to do the same here with limited resources, etc. If the senior players aren't working out, he'll find a solution with the young players. It's only when you reduce his larger point into an unnecessarily specific one that the argument becomes muddy.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

Do you actually read posts or use your brain or do you live in your make believe world where United fans suggested Evra as United manager?

But, what exactly were you trying to infer in the post that I was responding to? That Sarri being the manager meant Chelsea would never need to buy players? Their striker was not performing so they are going to try and get a new one. A League One side would do the same.

 

[Adisa]

The logic behind the way he's set up the midfield is sound. Jorginho doesn't have the legs to play where Kante is playing. The problem is Kante's ball skills are pretty poor. He is not the kind of player you want receiving the ball in advanced positions. Unless you have an amazing front three I can't see it not being a problem.

 

[VorZakone]

I thought Hazard was supposed to explode into form this season? Because of Sarri's attacking football?

 

[IAmAWinner]

Mourinho back at Chelsea next season. You heard it here first. He can play with Willian again.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

I thought Hazard was supposed to explode into form this season? Because of Sarri's attacking football?

He's absolutely carried them this season to be fair.

Their entire attacking gameplan is give ball to Hazard.

 

[el3mel]

Sarri must be one of the most overrated rival manager I have seen. His team is as boring as LVG's and he is destroying their second best player while fecking up the team in general.

Anyway if it come to choose between sacking Sarri and selling Kante, it's only going one way. Chelsea fanbase will go on riots if he decided to bench and sell him.

 

[Jezpeza]

Not that anything is confirmed, but if he is signed, I can see Higuain being another Falcao, Morata or Pato. I don’t think he’s got it physically and has always struck me as a box player

 

[RedDevilRoshi]

Their performance reminded me so much what we were like under LVG. Completely boring and never looking like scoring.

 

[Brwned]

Not that anything is confirmed, but if he is signed, I can see Higuain being another Falcao, Morata or Pato. I don’t think he’s got it physically and has always struck me as a box player

What's wrong with being a box player?

 

[Mb194dc]

Lots of work for Sarri. Our midfield balance is off. Need to have two separate systems I think. No more false 9 also. Bit of tactical variety needed for us to improve.

One possession based Sarri ball system with Jorginho as a regista (as now) in midfield and a counter attacking varient of 4 3 3 with Kante as the holding midfielder.

 

[el3mel]

The irony is that people were saying earlier this season 'oh wow look at how Sarri improves players he gets' and now 'the team is shite, Sarri can't do anything without money'. Must be weird going that length of contradicting yourself to defend a rival manager.

 

[Canagel]

Neither of them are good enough but both of them are better than Hazard in that false 9 nonsense.

Possibly but I don't think it would make a big difference. How many goals have Giroud and Morata scored between themselves? Let's see what Higuain does. If they want top 4 he needs to hit ground running.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

I agree with @KM. There were plenty of comments in this thread about how his team would be organic, and the individuals will be a lot less important because the system is so potent. If he can turn Mertens into a supreme goalscorer then he'll be able to do the same here with limited resources, etc. If the senior players aren't working out, he'll find a solution with the young players. It's only when you reduce his larger point into an unnecessarily specific one that the argument becomes muddy.

Individuals we always be important. And I think the idea was that Sarri would be able to make them competitive without having the crazy spending sprees Chelsea use to have. Not that they would not really need signings.

 

[KM]

I agree with @KM. There were plenty of comments in this thread about how his team would be organic, and the individuals will be a lot less important because the system is so potent. If he can turn Mertens into a supreme goalscorer then he'll be able to do the same here with limited resources, etc. If the senior players aren't working out, he'll find a solution with the young players. It's only when you reduce his larger point into an unnecessarily specific one that the argument becomes muddy.

Exactly.

Anyways, now that he's getting Higuain(which is btw completely against Chelsea's policy) let's see how they do. Their last shot on target in PL came 140 or so minutes ago and considering their last two fixtures were Newcastle at Home and Arsenal away, that's pretty ridiculous irrespective of good striker or not.

 

[Jezpeza]

What's wrong with being a box player?

Nothing, as long as they are going to sit high up the pitch, and press the opposition deep into their own half so they can get lots of through balls and crosses into the box for him. Not under the impression Chelsea play like that though.......

 

[Cutch]

Interesting interview with Sarri there. Saying his players can’t get motivated for big games

 

[KM]

Interesting interview with Sarri there. Saying his players can’t get motivated for big games

Higuain should solve that problem, somehow.

 

[Adisa]

It's funny, I wanted them to lose but I quickly got irritated with how they were playing. The kept crossing when Hazard was upfront as soon as Giroud came on they stopped.

 

[Jezpeza]

Higuain should solve that problem, somehow.

Throughout his career he has never performed in big games. World Cup finals, champions league ties, the lot, at several clubs

 

[settembrini]

As a United fan I get a lot of pleasure from watching Sarri play their two best players out of position.

 

[Brwned]

Nothing, as long as they are going to sit high up the pitch, and press the opposition deep into their own half so they can get lots of through balls and crosses into the box for him. Not under the impression Chelsea play like that though.......

I didn't watch much of Napoli under Sarri but my impression is they played in the same way Chelsea do, only more effectively because they had better individuals. One of those individuals was Higuain, when he had this pretty spectacular season:


Seems a strange issue to raise when they're a proven partnership, of sorts.