Maurizio Sarri’s reign at Chelsea shares similarities with Luiz Felipe Scolari – can he survive?
Maurizio Sarri has found out life at Chelsea can be challenging.Poor performances in recent months have seen patience grow thin for the Italian and supporters claim it is only a matter of time before he gets the boot.
9Maurizio Sarri is under pressure at ChelseaA decade earlier, Luiz Felipe Scolari was hired by the Blues, but was soon shown the exit door.Could Chelsea be set to experience deja vu all these years later?
The term Sarrismo is an expression used to describe the way in which Sarri has his teams play. It was coined in Italy, possession-based football; it requires players to be quick-witted, sharp, on the move, a more direct tika-taka, made famous by Barcelona under Pep Guardiola.This got Chelsea fans excited. Fast-paced, offensive and entertaining, it was a contrast to the negative, almost reluctant style deployed by predecessor Antonio Conte and less successfully so in his second and final season.
9Sarri’s style at Napoli caught the eyeCarefully selected clips highlighted what Sarri had to offer, his Napoli side played beautiful football, challenged for the title. Dries Mertens changed position to great effect; Gonzalo Higuain could not stop scoring.Roman Abramovich liked what he saw, he has never made it a secret of his desire to see his club play attractive football. But this was an itch he had tried to scratch a decade earlier.In his playing career, Scolari was a no-nonsense defender for Caxias. He was imposing, lacked any real skills and featured as a centre-back. Team-mates referred to him as Perna-de-Pau, wooden leg in Brazilian Portuguese slang for bad player.Management was his next step upon retirement in 1982, Scolari won the championship with Gremio before a two-year spell in charge of Kuwait.By 2001, he had been appointed manager of Brazil. At the World Cup in Korea/Japan the following year, his side would win the tournament. Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho made up a formidable attack.
9Scolari won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002The trio were supported by the likes of Lucio, Edmilson, Cafu and Roberto Carlos. This is where Scolaris name would become household, known beyond his homeland.Taking charge of the Portugal national team, Scolari led Luis Figo and co to runners-up at Euro 2004. Two years later, they finished fourth at the World Cup in Germany. Scolaris stock was at an all-time high, Chelsea had taken note and Big Phil was tasked with sprinkling his national touch upon West London and turning the Blues into Champions of Europe.They had just lost the final to Manchester United under Avram Grant.The bullish approach which led him to national and league titles quickly became apparent, Scoalri was out to make his mark, stamp his authority. It was his first major club job in Europe.
9Scolari signed Deco from BarcelonaIn came Deco from Barcelona, Scolari knew him well from his time with Portugal. A long-range effort on his Premier League debut and a free-kick winner in the following match against Wigan appeared to justify his purchase. He was soon figured out as the season progressed.Scolari clashed with a number of big personalities, established international players used to getting their own way. Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, to name a few who had issues with the blunt approach of the new manager.In the case of Drogba, Scolari wanted Adriano from Inter Milan. A deal fell through and the Ivorian took this personally.
9Chelsea legend Didier DrogbaAnelka was unwilling to play on the left; he had been scoring regularly at the beginning of the season. His lack of discipline and selflessness infuriated Scoalri. The Frenchman was blamed years later for his sacking.This was not the case for everyone at Chelsea.“I enjoyed Scolari and [Carlo] Ancelotti – they’re probably my favourite two,” Ashley Cole told Monday Night Football when asked who his favourite manager to player under was.“Scolari came at a time where I probably wasn’t playing as well as I knew I could when I first came to Chelsea, and the fans will agree with me that I wasn’t the Ashley Cole they knew at Arsenal.
9The Blues began well under the Brazilian“He came and brought this new lease of life, it was just like playing for Brazil.Chelsea begun the 2008/09 season strongly, the first league loss came nine matches in, 1-0 at home to Liverpool. It ended a 86-game unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge.At the end of January 2009, patience had already begun to wear thin with Scolari. Chelsea had drawn with Fulham, they were then beaten, comprehensively 3-0 by Manchester United and needed a goal in the third minute of stoppage time from Frank Lampard to beat Stoke. A 2-0 loss to Liverpool was followed by a 0-0 draw at home to Hull. Scolari was sacked, dismissed after just seven months.Ten years on, the situation is eerily similar. Like Scolari, Sarri was acknowledged for the flair and how his teams played, the way Abramovich craved. Unlike Scolari however, the 60-year-old has spent two decades managing in Italy and has no trophies to show for it.Jorginho, like Deco under Scolari, was recruited by Sarri. A familiar face, one who knew his demands from their time together at Napoli, he was the man in which Chelsea would be built around.
9Sarri fell out with the likes of Nicolas AnelkaFor the first few games it worked. Quick passing, mostly sideways or one-touch, took Jorginho to the top of the statistics lists for passing. No assists but this mattered little in the initial stages as Chelsea kept winning, keeping pace with Liverpool and Manchester City.The midfielder was soon found out, Tottenham laid the blueprint, other teams soon took note and followed suit. Swarming him and isolating Eden Hazard. It is as simple as that.Gary Cahill, NGolo Kante, Cesc Fabregas, Ruben Loftus-Cheek were among those who have found life hard under Sarri.Cahill, the heartbeat of Chelseas defence in recent seasons, a hero in the 2012 Champions League final, now restricted to cup competitions and sometimes not even in the squad.
9Many have questioned N’Golo Kante’s role in this Chelsea systemKante, the defensive protector, who has been one of the clubs best players, moved out of position to accommodate Jorginho, then publicly criticised as not being technically good enough to play in the role he has made his own since joining Leicester in 2015.Sarri, as did Scolari, made an impressive start to life in England. He set a Premier League record for longest unbeaten run of a new manager, 12 games. But the wheels fell off suddenly and emphatically the following game, 3-1 to Spurs. Defeats to Wolves, Leicester, Arsenal and a humiliating 4-0 thumping at Bournemouth mean Sarri-ball is merely a slogan, a so-far failed experiment.
9Jorginho has been sussed out in midfieldA fine coach Scoalri was, he was unable to adapt, believed the system should be the same always, Sarri too has the same philosophy, his stubbornness means refusal to change, adjust accordingly to the circumstances.The parallels with this season and Scolaris brief spell cannot be ignored. In fact, Scolari has a similar record to Sarri at the point he was fired. He had only lost five times in 36 matches. Sarri is now on seven from 39 matches.Patience is not a virtue in modern football, especially at Chelsea.They are 12 points off of Manchester City and there is no guarantee of dining at Europes top table next season.A 5-0 win over Huddersfield has momentarily kept reality at bay. Sarri will need to improve results if history is to avoid repeating itself.
Conte was a big fan of Moses during his two-year tenure at Chelsea, utilising him as a right wing-back. The Blues won the Premier League in his first season in charge, with Moses scoring three goals and picking up three assists. But the Nigeria international was frozen out and sent on loan to Fenerbahce by Conte's replacement Maurizio Sarri.
Victor Moses completes loan transfer from Chelsea to Turkish
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has admitted he will listen to transfer bids for Alfredo Morelos but has insisted he will not sell the striker. Colombian ace Morelos has hit 11 goals in 17 Scottish
Rangers news: Steven Gerrard makes Alfredo Morelos transfer
Launched in September 2000, Windows ME is immediately recognized as Microsoft's worst consumer OS, but it brought many new features at the time, not least of which were those mentioned above (automatic Windows updates, system restore and online games).
rashford | The Joe Ellaway Rock 'N' Goal Show
Tottenham engineered a dramatic comeback win at Ajax on Wednesday to book their place in the Champions League final. Matthew Ashton/AMA/Getty Images Spurs arrived in the Dutch capital with a challenge ahead of them, following last week's 1-0 first-leg defeat in London, but it was by no means insurmountable.
Tottenham 0-1 Ajax, Champions League: Donny van de Beek
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk lined up at the back for Holland in the Nations League on Thursday Liverpool fans furious with reception Virgil van Dijk got from England supporters : The
Liverpool fans in hysterics as Virgil van Dijk gains instant
Chelsea news: Injury blow for Blues as Ruben Loftus-Cheek limps out of FA Cup tie Posted on March 1, 2019 A devastated Ruben Loftus-Cheek limped off the pitch for Chelsea just minutes before half-time in their FA Cup match with Nottingham Forest.
Chelsea news: Injury blow for Blues as Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona: Luis Suarez apologises for Champions League exit with players ready to face 'bullets' Luis Suarez has apologised for Barcelona's shock Champions League exit to Liverpool and insists the players are ready to face the 'bullets'. The LaLiga talkSPORT 1 week ago: Barcelona's Luis Suarez to undergo knee surgery
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona: Jose Mourinho credits Jurgen Klopp
Manchester City post Frank Lampard highlight video… and call former Chelsea midfielder a 'City legend' Lampard played 38 times for Manchester City in 2014/15 and even scored his first goal
Manchester City post Frank Lampard highlight video and
Manchester United transfer news: West Ham United striker
Transfer news LIVE: Latest updates from Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. The January transfer window is fast approaching, with Jose Mourinho tipped to be a big mover
Arsenal would be challenging for the Premier League title if
Tottenham will clash against German league leaders Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie on Wednesday night. Tottenham Hotspur are set to go head to
Tottenham team news: How Spurs could line up vs Borussia Dortmund
Nantes paid tribute to their missing former player Emiliano Sala before and during Wednesday's Ligue 1 match against Saint-Etienne.. Guernsey Police on Thursday ceased looking for Sala, who was
Watch: Referee stops Nantes vs Saint-Etienne game in ninth
Olivier Giroud has said his Chelsea future looks "bleaker" following the arrival of Gonzalo Higuain from Juventus on loan until the end of the season. Higuain made his debut in Sunday's 3-0 FA Cup fourth round win over Sheffield Wednesday at Stamford Bridge, and looks set to play against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Wednesday after
Giroud: Higuain arrival at Chelsea makes my future bleaker
What Aaron Ramsey can expect on his Juventus arrival Ramsey is moving to Juventus and, according to Sky sources, will be on a £325,000-a-week contract.
0 Comments