Chelsea have certainly been the surprise package of the Premier League this season and one can only admire what new boss Maurizio Sarri has done in such a short space of time.
To say the Italian has hit the ground running would be a gross understatement and, quite frankly, not very fair on the 59-year-old. It has been one of the smoothest transitions of management at a club that England’s top flight has seen for a long while.
Despite enjoying a faultless start to life at Stamford Bridge, Sarri does still harbour reservations about his defence. If ever there was an insight into how Sarri operates it would be his current observations about his backline even though his squad are third in the Premier League for least goals conceded. If the secret wasn’t out already, it is now, Sarri is indeed a chain-smoking perfectionist that refuses to accept any weak links in his team.
Sarriball is like an orchestra.
Where Sarri is the conductor and the players are the musicians. #CFC pic.twitter.com/GNiXuGkHzI— Chelsea Insight (@Chelseainsight_) November 2, 2018
Rather than making noises in his press conferences about how the club will need to provide him with adequate funds in the winter transfer market, Sarri has instead insisted that the problems can and should be fixed on the training ground. It will come as a welcome change to owner Roman Abramovich to hear his manager is keen on using his own tactical acumen to address problems within his squad rather than the easy way out – the Russian’s chequebook.
It is further indication that Sarri is indeed the breath of fresh air that Chelsea desperately needed. Winning the title this season had been a rather muted discussion amongst Chelsea fans in the summer but, all of a sudden, there is a genuine reason to believe that Sarri can achieve greatness in his first season at Stamford Bridge. At odds of 12/1 in Premier League betting it may still appear a long shot but, in reality, Chelsea have looked as impressive as any team has this season.
As far as shoring up the defence at Cobham goes, if Ross Barkley’s transformation under Sarri’s guidance is anything to go by, David Luiz could be the new Paolo Maldini by the end of the campaign. Barkley’s progress has not only got Chelsea fans dreaming of the type of impact he can have in an attacking role but also supporters of the England national team.
A last minute equalizer against Manchester United would not have been forthcoming last season from the Liverpool-born Barkley so it’s evident to see Sarri is able to apply the magic touch to underachieving players to great effect.
Sarri has brought a new attitude to Chelsea that is centered on rolling up the sleeves and getting results through continued hard work. It’s safe to say it is working wonders and restoring a bit of the blood, sweat, and tears that had been missing at Stamford Bridge last season. That’s not to say this current Chelsea team are not easy on the eye, far from it but they now have a steeliness to them as well. It’s back to good old coaching and a focus on what Sarri has at his disposal that is making Chelsea a highly impressive outfit once again.
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