Finally! Abramovich finally got what he wanted for so long: a manager who will play beautiful, attacking football! The appointment of someone like Sarri is long overdue in my opinion and I think it’s the best decision Chelsea had made in a long time. The main problem is that Chelsea have been inactive for most of the transfer window and with one week left to go I doubt we’ll see another big signing coming to The Bridge.. That means we’ll maybe sell Courtois and get a replacement in before the first league game but not much more than that. Sarri will have to transform this squad from the boring and extremely defensive team it was under Conte (I don’t where to begin to explain how much he made me hate the 3-5-2 formation) into a new modern, attacking team! That will take time, maybe even a lot of time. Will he get it?

 

The potential is there. Chelsea have many players that can press high up the field, can be creative on the ball and keep possession, but the transition will take time! Players like Pedro, Fabregas, Morata, Hazard, Kante and Jorginho are perfectly capable of doing all of that. We know this, because we’ve seen them do it in the past.

 

My main concern are the four at the back though. If David Luiz is the one to lead from centre back, than we will be conceding goal after goal. Rudiger isn’t good enough in my opinion and should be replaced with Christensen. I hope we’ll get to see Azpiliqueta as a centre back instead of as a right back. He can lead from the back, pass the ball really well and knows where to stand and defend. He should be the one to coach Christensen, help Christensen grow into that role! I think Chelsea need to buy a right back more than we need anything else. Moses and Zapacosta aren’t really going to cut it, because I don’t think they’re good enough. I hope Courtois will leave before the end of the week as I also think that he isn’t good enough. He had an amazing amount of potential, but his entire goal at Chelsea seems to have been to get to Real Madrid. Let him go, and maybe sign a goalkeeper who wants to play for Chelsea! The defence is the biggest problem in my opinion. The defence will make or break Sarri this season, because I think that Chelsea have got loads of options in attack that can turn the club into the most attacking and enjoyable to watch team in the Premier League!

 

But will Sarri feel that he is given the time to implement his style? That will be the biggest question. Will Sarri feel supported to change the style of play that this team had to endure during Conte’s dreadful last season? Will he be fearing for his job after the first few months turn out not exactly like we’d want them to, or will he be assured that he will be backed in January or in the next summer transfer window?

 

Just look at how much time it took Pep or Klopp to Manchester City and Liverpool to where they are now. Chelsea are famous for not giving their managers this time and I can’t help but feel that if we don’t finish in the top four, Sarri will sacked as well.

He will be fine unless he f**ks up beyond all comprehension, despite going through a lot of managers Roman isn't close to the impatient trigger happy maniac he's perceived as.

The fact Jose was 16th before being sacked and Conte basically stuck two fingers up the the club all season and didn't get sacked shows they know they can't be trigger happy

31 minutes ago, YoeriZ said:

But will Sarri feel that he is given the time to implement his style?

I feel like this is a different era right now. Conte wasn't released so much on performance as attitude. It seems to me as if the expectations at the Club are tempered, but Conte joined Chelsea hoping to make a run at the one prize that has eluded him, the Champion's League. After winning the League in his first season, Conte was probably ready make a run at the Championship, but he wasn't backed in the transfer market. It just seems to me like the short term goals of the club have become more long term, but Conte either never got, or never signed off on the "rebuild".

I think as long as he totally doesn't tank, Sarri will get a longer leash than we've seen in the past.

I imagine there have been extensive talks between the club and Sarri about expectations. The club will have looked at Sarri's start at a club (or even at the start of a season), not just the final league position, and Sarri seems to be a man who doesn't beat around the bush: he probably told the club the first weeks if not months will be crap. Didn't he tell something like that at his start at Napoli?

All assumptions of course, but like Argo and Brutos I don't think Abramovich or the board are so eager to sack the manager by Christmas.

Edited August 6, 20187 yr by Valerie

Taking himself out of the transfer dealings, giving the club full control on the personnel in/out. That will give him a huge advantage over his predecessors, and hopefully plenty of time to achieve his vision.

I believe the club has been quite reasonable with managers recently. Jose was sacked only after it appeared we were heading towards relegation, and Conte's relationship with the board broke down over his constant moaning. There were also reports he refused to talk to the club in the summer heading into last season, so it was inevitable he was going to get sacked. If Sarri can get us into the Top 4 and keep us there and win an occasional cup, he should be fine for the duration of his contract 

43 minutes ago, YoeriZ said:

Finally! Abramovich finally got what he wanted for so long: a manager who will play beautyful, attacking football! The appointment of someone like Sarri is long overdue in my opinion and I think it’s the best decision Chelsea had made in a long time. The main problem is that Chelsea have been inactive for most of the transfer window and with one week left to go I doubt we’ll see another big signing coming to The Bridge.. That means we’ll maybe sell Courtois and get a replacement in before the first league game but not much more than that. Sarri will have to transform this squad from the boring and extremely defensive team it was under Conte (I don't where to begin to explain how much he made me hate the 3-5-2 formation) into a new modern, attacking team! That will take time, maybe even a lot of time. Will he get it?

 

The potential is there. Chelsea have many players that can press high up the field, can be creative on the ball and keep possession, but the transition will take time! Players like Pedro, Fabregas, Morata, Hazard, Kante and Jorginho are perfectly capable of doing all of that. We know this, because we’ve seen them do it in the past.

 

My main concern are the four at the back though. If David Luiz is the one to lead from centre back, than we will be conceding goal after goal. Rudiger isn’t good enough in my opinion and should be replaced with Christensen. I hope we’ll get to see Azpiliqueta as a centre back instead of as a right back. He can lead from the back, pass the ball really well and knows where to stand and defend. He should be the one to coach Christensen, help Christensen grow into that role! I think Chelsea need to buy a right back more than we need anything else. Moses and Zapacosta aren’t really going to cut it, because I don’t think they’re good enough. I hope Courtois will leave before the end of the week as I also think that he isn't good enough. He had an amazing amount of potential, but his entire goal at Chelsea seems to have been to get to Real Madrid. Let him go, and maybe sign a goalkeeper who wants to play for Chelsea! The defence is the biggest problem in my opinion. The defence will make or break Sarri this season, because I think that Chelsea have got loads of options in attack that can turn the club into the most attacking and enjoyable to watch team in the Premier League!

 

But will Sarri feel that he is given the time to implement his style? That will be the biggest question. Will Sarri feel supported to change the style of play that this team had to endure during Conte’s dreadful last season? Will he be fearing for his job after the first few months turn out not exactly like we’d want them to, or will he be assured that he will be backed in January or in the next summer transfer window?

 

Just look at how much time it took Pep or Klopp to Manchester City and Liverpool to where they are now. Chelsea are famous for not giving their managers this time and I can’t help but feel that if we don’t finish in the top four, Sarri will sacked as well.

He has a lot to do.

 

(Is Pickford new news?)

Can we please give the guy a chance before we start speculating about the timing of his departure.

I'm hoping a long time, as long as he does a decent job. I'm not talking about immediate success, but we should be challenging top 4 and building a squad capable of being able to compete with the best again. Things tend to go wrong very quickly with us though so i wouldn't be surprised if he was sacked in a season or two.

2 hours ago, YoeriZ said:

Rudiger isn’t good enough in my opinion

imo he's our best CB at this point. 

as for how long sarri gets? this will be a difficult season. i don't think our squad is ready for what he wants to do and i worry he isn't pragmatic enough to turn it around like conte did early in his first season. i hope he lasts a year, because that would mean we'd be in the race for top 4 and might even have made it. two years in a row out of the cl (3 years out of 4 out of the cl)? that's unthinkable. if we're not top 4 at xmas, we may get another run with guus. 

on the other hand, he seems a cheery guy, and i don't think he'll piss off the players like avb, jose or conte seemed to. so many he can avoid the "palpable discord" that ended those guy's tenures. if that was really what did for them, that is. 

With the exception of Arsenal we have a number of softer matches on the horizon, I think we will have enough to get points on the door in this crucial early period when you expect Sarri's methods and expectations to be solidified.  

On Sunday Supplement last week, one of the journalists said that he had been told that if even if Pep Guardiola had been available this season, Chelsea still would have gone for Sarri - the board/club rate him that highly. 

Thought that was quite interesting and perhaps  they are looking for him to really build something. 

AVB was a proponent of a defensive high line, the squad in his debut season was far more robust than todays' counterparts, he got 8 months

Yes and I can recall JM saying we could not play a certain because of JT though think we will now adapt.

How long is a ball of string

Probably not long enough!

As long as we don't lose too many to clubs we should expect to beat, I hope that doesn't sound arrogant, but you know last season, Crystal Palace, Burnley etc....

 

We do have, what looks like an easier start (on paper) Hopefully that will give him time to get used to our league and sort out what he wants from the team. Of course as Chelsea fans we all know there can be a basket case quality to the club, which hasn't served us too badly in the past, but I am really hoping he will be given time. I hope he will bring a few of the younger players on, I for one would happily go without winning anything for a couple of years if we were able to develop our youth.

I don't think the board share my view on that though.

13 minutes ago, SHELLY said:

As long as we don't lose too many to clubs we should expect to beat, I hope that doesn't sound arrogant, but you know last season, Crystal Palace, Burnley etc....

We do have, what looks like an easier start (on paper) Hopefully that will give him time to get used to our league and sort out what he wants from the team. Of course as Chelsea fans we all know there can be a basket case quality to the club, which hasn't served us too badly in the past, but I am really hoping he will be given time. I hope he will bring a few of the younger players on, I for one would happily go without winning anything for a couple of years if we were able to develop our youth.

I don't think the board share my view on that though.

Conte played joyless football for 6 months alongside disastrous results bar the Cup run, yet it was his constant pot shots at every one in the club that put his job in danger and even then he only lost his job because Sarri became available. Sarri would have to f**k up beyond all form of reality to not see a second season and even then he still might if their's no quality managers available.

If Conte can see out a full season after last I'm confident Sarri can get some good time here.

He should do anyway, the board actually haven't been that trigger happy since Mourinho, Mourinho got more leniency than I expected, so did Conte massively. 

Hopefully a lot.

If he asked right now he’d get 13:55....

With a stern face like that just as well they brought in Gianfranco.

5 hours ago, bluehaze said:

Hooww queer! 

Rudiger should be starting most games as CB, the other option D.Luiz or Christensen and Azpi as right back.