When Maurizio Sarri said last week that it might take two or three months for Chelsea to play the sort of football he wanted, the instant reaction was to raise an eyebrow and say: “Good luck with that.”
This, after all, is not a club known for patience, and given the state of flux — on the pitch and off it — Chelsea find themselves in, Sarri has possibly the most difficult job in football.
In the 15 years since Roman Abramovich arrived at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have made their way through nine permanent managers (if you count Jose Mourinho twice) and five caretakers (if you count Guus Hiddink twice). Luiz Felipe Scolari lasted 36 games, Andre Villas-Boas got 40, Roberto Di Matteo was dispensed with 21 games after winning the Champions League and Carlo Ancelotti went the season after winning the double.
In Abramovich’s tenure, you have to look like you’re on your way to winning the league in your first season to last until the end of it. On that basis, Sarri’s task seems monumental. Brendan Rodgers, in one of his more lucid moments, compared management to “trying to build an aircraft while flying it,” and that line is entirely appropriate in this situation.
Perhaps Chelsea will change their habits for Sarri. They’ll have to, not least because this is a problem entirely of their own making. From the back end of last season, it seemed clear that Antonio Conte’s race had been run, that he was unpopular with enough members of the squad to make his position untenable. But throughout the summer, Conte was in the dark about his status, eventually sacked on July 13 having gone through the motions of planning and taking the first few days of preseason training, sent on his way by a curt 52-word club statement.
Sarri’s appointment was confirmed a day later, five days before they left for Australia on their preseason tour and 24 days before the Community Shield. “I have only been here three weeks,” shrugged Sarri after Manchester City strolled past them in that game. “Six of the players I haven’t seen yet.”
It didn’t feel like he was necessarily complaining, but he had every right to.
Sarri has been asked to, at the very least, return this side to the Champions League places. In addition to imposing his style as quickly as possible, he must also do so having sold goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois on the eve of the season, replaced by the talented but young Kepa Arrizabalaga and with a striker in Alvaro Morata whose confidence is low.