Dorset Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 (edited) Ever since he was an old man He's played the Serie halls From Sorento up to Naples He's hardly played them all But you ain't seen nothing like him With or without a trophy haul That eff'n'blind smokin' banker Sure plays a mean Sarriball Well, that didn't take long, did it? And no Pauly, it is not without fully appreciating the irony that I've adapted Elton John's lyrics in the above introduction, but when all is said and (often little of it) done we have to start as we mean to go on, by tackling the facts and fiction unflinchingly:- in short, our new-coach-to-be, Mauricio Sarri, reportedly courts controversy at every turn, as does CFC, as did assorted managers of CFC over the years and if by now we the supporters cannot get used to this backdrop and the Fourth Estate fabrications that always accompany it then we never will. That said, his imminent appointment appears to have divided opinion more than most in recent times, primarily due to him still having a trophyless cabinet on fast approaching his sixtieth year, an unsightly Zorro zed of a zilch etched deep into the very heart of the man, though one that seemed no more than a mere distinguishing mark on the avuncular Claudio Ranieri way back in the early Noughties when the Chelsea bar was set nowhere near as high as it most certainly is now. So, significantly, no such largesse oiling the wheels of Sarri's coaching career to date, but to his great credit he has sought to make a virtue out of the type of tightwad financial situation many a trophy-hungry managerial big beast would not even countenance, Guardiola, Mourinho, Zidane, to name but three of the bigger bear marketeers to be scooping out of wealthy club honeypots on a regular basis in the last decade. During that self same period Sarri made it abundantly clear he regarded spending vast sums on players as something of a cop out on the coaching side, a stated position that must come as music to Roman's ears, albeit a somewhat obvious stance to take when you are forever strapped for cash in the transfer market. Align this with the Italian's reputation for bringing in numerous youngsters at Empoli, improving them out of all recognition, before melding them with more established players and you sense that now might be just the right time to get the best out of Edin Hazard in a front three with the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Tammy Abraham willing runners intertwined in supporting roles. Indeed, the same opportunities for mentoring mergers like these are available in almost every position except that of goalkeeper where, with due respect to Willy Caballero, it is Thibaut Courtois who reigns in supreme, if sometimes uncertain, isolation. Yet even here we have seen a vulnerability when it comes to comfort on the ball and distribution under pressure, so personnel change under Sarri may well start between the posts and could be by design rather than the player merely wanting away for personal reasons. Either way, resolution will be easier under a new regime as a new broom always sweeps clean but, if Sarri turns out not to be as radical as many observers believe, that first team selection of outfield players currently at his disposal for the opening game of next season might easily be fashioned into the following formation, familiarity having bred a certain amount of contempt for Bakayoko amongst the fanbase and now set to be sensationally replaced by a Sarriball lynchpin called Jorginho:- Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Christensen, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Fabregas, Moses, Giroud, Hazard. Cue disbelief and Manc snubbery all round and I would even go so far as to say 'might easily' advisedly because I doubt the team will look anything like this once a suitable technique-seeking Sarri [wrecking] ball thuds into its facade and reveals the current Conte-suffering, shabby-chic look that's decidedly unfit for purpose in its present distressed state. After such a demolition job a better stab at a starting line-up might well be:- Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Rugani, Emerson, Jorginho, Kante, Golovin, Bailey, Martial, Hazard. Hey big spenders, happy days!! Then again, I say 'might well' advisedly because, at the risk of repeating myself twice over, I doubt the team will look anything like this once financial restraint in the form of FFP and a certain Russian's current quick-on-the drawn purse strings puts a curb on any easystreet spend up. After that, the appliance of Sarribal science, the concurrence [at last] with Roman's youth progression obsession and the answering of my own prayers on the matter, another stab at a starting eleven [with either/ors thrown in for good measure] might visionarily be:- Azpilicueta/Aina, Rudiger/Rugani, Christensen/Ampadu, Emerson/Alonso, Golovin/Scott, Jorginho/Mount, Kante, Loftus-Cheek/Hazard, Giroud/Abraham, Martial/Hudson-Odoi. By all means dissect and deride my teams as you think fit (yes big blue, we know, you don't think that Kyle Scott, the Alexandr Golovin look [and play] alike, will make it here) but constants are there for all to see in Dave, Tony, N'Golo and Edin and the rest, though a mix of pure speculation and wishful thinking on my part, have grains of truth sown into the very fabric when choosing players best equipped to play the type of Sarriball that our limited conceptual knowledge initially allows us to make a call on. Naturally, snap decisions are bound to be made on the ability of other players to meet basic Sarriball requirements and also judgement calls made on the levels of burning desire to adapt when other career paths may look more inviting. I'm no exception, as can be seen by my leaving out David Luiz, Gary Cahill, Davide Zappacosta, Danny Drinkwater, Ross Barkley, Pedro and Willian from the above line-ups. In some instances old dogs may not want to learn new tricks, in others the spirit will be willing but the flesh weak and finally there will be those bargaining chip individuals who see the light of a brighter future or a bigger payday elsewhere. Whatever the reasons, this summer's comings and goings could and arguably should be cull-like in severity, with the structure and business plan template willingly accepted by all parties, overseen by new manager and board in tandem, with the ultimate aim of providing first team places for far more Development Squad players and returning loanees than ever before. Hopefully, a good World Cup for Ruben Loftus-Cheek, one that might have been even better had he got on in the latter stages of the semi-final, will cement a place for him in the first team and provide an early platform of justification that Sarri will clearly need if he is going to bring in any more youngsters rather than have the club forever splashing the cash on another of those Next Best Things since sliced Fred. That's not to say Sarri should not have funds at his disposal, but simply to limit the amount on a sell-before-buy basis. After all, are we not dealing here with a banking man who understands the need to budget and appreciates the value of money? I do hope so, because nothing would give me greater satisfaction than to see miserly Sarriball suceed at the expense of much-hyped and misconceived Mancunian loadsa-moneyball, if not next season then in the not too distant future. But in the meantime our new boss must be allowed time to settle in, preach the gospel according to Sarriball and sort the wheat from the chaff playerwise. His arrival could herald a bright new dawn that fulfills the current needs of club and manager, both seemingly having patented a cure for the persistent ills of the other. So, let me provide the pre-partytime introductions - Chelsea, bad boy serial trophy winners, meet Mauricio Sarri, desperately seeking silverware. Mauricio Sarri, fashion football designer to the stars, meet Chelsea FC, identity crisis incorporated and much in need of a makeover... I'm sure you two have got lots to talk about. Edited July 12, 2018 by Dorset strider6004, quik, Argo and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 (edited) Good post Dorset, as always. Will not be able to comment on any of your predicted lineups until we have a clearer picture of what Sarri and the Board’s line of thinking on player-acquisition for the season is. However, I don't agree with your statement that pairs Zidane with Mourinho and Guardiola as “three bigger bear marketeers to be scooping out of wealthy club honeypots on a regular basis in the last decade”. During his two-year spell at Real, Zidane bought five or six “fringe” players. His most expensive buy was 40-odd million for the young winger, Vinicious Junior. His spending stats are incredibly measly compared to the other two you mentioned. Of course, one might argue he didn't need to spend much with all the galacticos he inherited. Edited July 12, 2018 by Lord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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