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Maurizio Sarri on collision course with Chelsea stars and fans after Arsenal defeat
Maurizio Sarri has insisted he will not change, as he faces up to the first major test of his Chelsea reign.
Head coach Sarri blamed his players for a fourth defeat in nine Premier League games, but members of his squad believe he must shoulder some responsibility for Chelsea’s problems.
And Sarri faces a fight to keep the Chelsea supporters on his side with sections of the visiting fans at the Emirates losing patience with his approach.
Sarri claimed his players are “extremely difficult to motivate” during an extraordinary post-match press conference after the Arsenal loss, which he conducted in Italian through a translator.
But there is a growing frustration regarding Sarri’s stubbornness over his team selections and tactics, while his substitutions have become predictable and Eden Hazard is being wasted in the false nine position.
Real Madrid are confident they will be able to sign Hazard at the end of the season and the Belgian cut a frustrated and downcast figure on Saturday night.
The arrival of Gonzalo Higuain on loan from Juventus will free Hazard to play in his favoured role off the left, but Sarri has made it clear that he will not change his approach.
It was a defeat to Arsenal that convinced Antonio Conte to switch to a three-man defence, which resulted in Chelsea winning the Premier League title, but Sarri, again in Italian, said: “With my team, I think it is different because Conte was using a four-man defence and changed to a three-man defence. But he was used to doing that anyway, so it wasn’t quite the same, whereas this is the football I have.
“I am a good teacher of this football. I don’t think it would be a good idea if I try to teach my players a different type of football. There will be some changes perhaps, but there will be no massive upheaval.”
Those words will not please the growing number of Chelsea fans, who are becoming frustrated by the reliance on Jorginho, who was once again poor against Arsenal, and the former Napoli manager’s unwavering belief in ‘Sarri-ball’ that has become predictable.
Sarri’s changes are also predictable. With his team trailing at the Emirates to goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Laurent Koscielny, the Italian once again swapped Mateo Kovacic for Ross Barkley.
Barkley helped Chelsea to improve, but Sarri has made that same switch, one way or the other, 17 times this season. Callum Hudson-Odoi had to wait until the 80th minute for his chance from the bench and by then it was too late.
Sarri has been attempting to say the right things in terms of offering Hudson-Odoi encouragement that he will get the chances he wants at Chelsea, as Bayern Munich try to take him to Germany. But the 18-year-old may well feel actions speak louder than words.
Willian has scored only three Premier League goals this season and was yet again ineffectual against Arsenal, but he has made 22 League appearances under Sarri this season.
David Luiz insisted he remains fully behind Sarri and his tactics, but it is understood there are Chelsea players who fear the 60-year-old’s stubbornness could contribute to costing them Champions League qualification.
Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte can testify to the fact the Chelsea players usually win any battle of wills against the manager, but Sarri does not feel he has put his job on the line by publicly criticising them.
“I don’t think it is risky,” said Sarri. “These guys have a sensible head on their shoulders, so I don’t think I am risking anything. I said the players are difficult to motivate, but by the same token there are players who are sensible, who will listen and won’t take it the wrong way. There might be a slight risk, but I don’t think there is.
“This is my character, I am a straight talker. This is how I speak. Yes, sometimes when you speak in that way it might cause some upset or some conflict, but it doesn’t cause any lingering bitterness.”
Sarri has frozen out club captain Gary Cahill and title-winner Victor Moses, and allowed Cesc Fabregas to join Monaco, but he still believes there are leaders in his squad who can assume responsibility.
“I think we probably do (have leaders),” he said. “I think we might even have someone who is capable of embodying the characteristics I have talked about.
“Of course, there is always a danger a leader emerges who is a bad leader, who doesn’t necessarily do the kind of things that I want the team to do. Nevertheless, I do think we need to change the mentality and I do think within the group of players we do have that ability and the characteristics to change.”
Fourth-placed Chelsea are now just three points ahead of Arsenal and Manchester United, and must still travel to Manchester City, Liverpool and United. Sarri’s team must also try to overturn a one-goal deficit in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night.
But Luiz backed Sarri and, when asked if Chelsea’s approach must change, the Brazilian said: “No, it is not impossible. It is our style, it is our philosophy. I think if you asked at the beginning of the season ‘can Chelsea keep the ball?’ You would have said no. And now we are able to do that, like the best teams in the world, but then we have improve our last 25 metres.
“Because of the results, if you start to change and change, you don’t go anywhere. So this is our philosophy, I believe in it, I trust in it. I just know we have to improve, like every team in the world.
“What Sarri has done until now is unbelievable, amazing, because normally a team to understand this philosophy needs one or two years, like Manchester City and Liverpool, who are playing very well with the ball now. So we have to try to improve the details now. Everybody is trusting his job and everybody is with him.”