Chelsea: The viability of Sarri-ball at Stamford Bridge

The Blues have surely hired a capable coach with a bright football mind. However, with an inadequate group of players to fit his style, it’s adapt or die for the Neapolitan.

To be clear if given the proper time to foster and develop his system, Sarri will formulate a squad that is equipt to surpass his success in Napoli. However, Chelsea is a concoction of impatience and impiety.

The powerful board headed by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich has created a very volatile situation in which there is little to no job security for a manager in West London. This is emphasized by the dismissal of Antonio Conte following a fifth-place finish in the Premier League table, one year removed from a PL title.

Tactically, Sarri does not have the same players as he was able to acquire and develop during his time in Italy. The biggest glaring weakness is his incapability to find a false 9 such as he had in Dries Mertens. Alvaro Morata simply has not done the job and Sarri has not found confidence in the abilities of Olivier Giroud either.

Another factor at play is the possible transfer of Gonzalo Higuain, which has been often rumoured. He would provide a good presence and he was Mertens’ predecessor in Napoli.

Eden Hazard has played the role of Lorenzo Insigne perfectly, as he has played somewhere in between that of a traditional winger and that of an advanced midfielder. His supreme quality has allowed for such an easy transition, as he has free range on the pitch.

The other wing either has Willian or Pedro, who play the roles of traditional wingers such as Jose Callejon did. However, neither has the scoring capability of the Spanish forward who posted 24 goals in Sarri’s final two seasons in Napoli.

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The recent purchase of American starlet, Christian Pulisic, gives rise to the idea that Hazard may be on his way out, which is entirely possible. However, if this is not the case, Pulisic would make for a great rotational player for Hazard, when he is injured or as a substitute. He is not an adequate replacement for Hazard at this time and may never be.

The midfield is another issue area for Sarri because he has two men for one role: the holding central midfielder. N’Golo Kante has excelled in this role, but Sarri has brought over Jorginho to England and prefers to run play through him.

There has to be some adaptation here, to allow both excellent midfielders to have defined roles to suit their strengths. Perhaps keeping two midfielders in reserved roles with one attacking. Here Jorginho can play the deepest of the two with Kante also in a deep role.

Kante is not the same player as Allan was in Napoli and Matteo Kovacic or Ross Barkley are not suitable replacements for Marek Hamsik. Here is where Chelsea must be patient, they must allow Sarri to figure out his midfield because that is the key to his system.

He must find a role for Kante that does not reduce Jorginho’s importance and they must find a third midfielder who can support the attack. Somebody who can add more goals than Barkley has with his time on the pitch.

The last of the major issues is the role of David Luiz, who is not the most reliable of defenders. His role was held by Kalidou Koulibaly in Italy, who is one of the finest and most athletic centre-halves in the world now. If a better option than Luiz, Morata, and Barkley/Kovacic can be found and Sarri adapts his midfield better, he can truly recreate his formidable side from Napoli.

Another option is the addition of Nicolo Barella as a replacement for Cesc Fabregas. He is just 21 and will be easily moulded into a dynamic option to the left of Jorginho and Kante in the midfield. He could one day be an adequate replacement for Hamsik if given the proper time to grow.

Of course, this requires a financial commitment and an unprecedented patience of which there is no indication he will get from the board.