The Inception
Meanwhile, there was a certain Mr Sarri cutting his teeth in the Tuscany regional leagues. Doubling as a bank clerk and a student of economics, the football-obsessed Italian used his spare time for coaching, but it was only after winning promotion with sixth-tier Sansovino in the early 2000s, that Sarrismo really took flight.
Unlike Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, or Rafa Benitez, who had varying spells in England, Madrid and Italy, Maurizio Sarri’s only top-level experience came during his Napoli years, but as his Chelsea reign unfolds, the former banker can draw inspiration from the good fortunes of Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Di Matteo, and Antonio Conte, Compatriots and fellow countrymen who left big footprints on the sands of the bridge.
In the eye of the storm, Rafa Benitez replaced Roberto Di Matteo, and while the Italian sought redemption elsewhere, the former Liverpool manager made history in Amsterdam, leading the blues to a 2-1 victory over Benfica in the 2013 Europa League final, and in the eleven days that followed, Chelsea enjoyed possession of both the Champions League and Europa League trophies.
It was fun while it lasted, ask any Chelsea fan.
Napoli and The Transfiguration
Nevertheless, Bar Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, it’s hard to imagine a team that played more hypnotizing football than Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli en route Russia 2018.
Forming the spine of a ruthless Napoli army, Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne, Jorginho, Allan, Hamsik and Koulibaly became Sarri’s most trusted generals, and although only one of them now trains with him at Cobham, the Italian tactician is already assembling a group potentially more hypnotizing than his Neapolitan masterpiece.
The former Empoli manager is in a league of his own and now sits on the left-hand side of Guardiola in the hallowed chambers of tactically offensive tacticians, but Maurizio Sarri knows too well the dangers of getting carried away in the wind of expectations.
“Maybe, in the first part
“I think you have to wait for a couple of months, you have to wait
”If we are able to play at another speed, maybe scoring will not be a problem for us
“But at this moment, at this current speed, it may be a problem,” Sarri said upon resumption of duties at Cobham.
In the Middle of The Park
Two of Chelsea’s first goals under the Neapolitan came from the unlikeliest of sources; Kante and Jorginho –while the Italian midfielder has developed into a living embodiment of Sarrismo, it is the chemistry in the middle of the park that ultimately determines just how well Sarri’s ideas will be transformed from paper to silverware.
Three goals, three points and a clean sheet on Matchday one; very impressive, but on an overwhelming afternoon in West Yorkshire, any group with Chelsea’s quality could have dispatched the Terriers. But then, there’s still room for improvement, and Sarri’s post-match concerns on “moving the ball quicker and pressuring defenders” couldn’t have come any quicker.
How Impregnable is the Wall?
These are not the best in their respective positions, but we’ve seen what Sarri did with Koulibaly and Hysaj, and it will be unnecessarily pessimistic to conclude that he cannot forge another defensive machine with the tools at his disposal.
Against Arsenal and at St. James’ Park against Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle, there were visible cracks in the wall and although Chelsea ran out winners in the end, conceding 3 goals in two games highlights the need for more stable defending as the season progresses.
Going Forward
Following the arrival of Kovacic and Kepa Arrizabalaga, the new Chelsea boss stated that his team was complete and although there are reasonable question marks over who leads the attack under Sarrismo, it will be unfair to rule out the resurgence of Morata and Giroud under Sarri.
Had Gonzalo Higuain picked London over Milan, his former Napoli boss would probably worry less about high conversion rates and consistency in front of goal, but with Leonardo and Gennaro Gattuso having the last laugh on that one, who says Maurizio Sarri cannot adopt the false-nine alternative when the need arises?
Maurizio Sarri doesn’t aim to please, but he strives to entertain and while his tactical thinking dwells upon high pressing, and diabolically passing opponents into submission, his fluid 4-3-3 theory will allow Chelsea’s forwards interchange freely, making it more difficult for opponents to cope in the final third.
Fear and Wonder
During the Roman era, Chelsea has become the most successful club in England, and even if Mr. Sarri’s methods inspired Napoli to three fascinating Calcio campaigns, the Tuscan tactician must know, that at Stamford bridge, trophyless campaigns are not tolerated.
This is London, not Naples.
At Cobham, except you’re winning the Champions league every year (Even the great Zizou had to read the handwriting on the wall at Real Madrid), there’s no such thing as a long-term project.
The Tuscan has had to wait for his chance at the very top, and although he didn’t rise through managerial academy ranks or serve under an established patron (like Mourinho and Pep under Cruyff), logic suggests, that it is Sarri’s unconventional route –beginning off the well-worn path– that has forged him into arguably the most admired Italian manager in the game.
In a league that is fast-paced and more physical than others, a foreigner’s first year is usually considered a transition phase, but if there’s anything we’ve learned from Mourinho, Ancelotti and Conte, it is that you can have an outstanding first year only to crash and burn suddenly.
At a time when Stamford bridge is in dire need of new directions, and the absence of trophies in Sarri’s portfolio is becoming painfully obvious, the timing of Roman Abramovich’s thirteenth managerial appointment couldn’t have been more spot on.
