Sarri But Not Sarri Thread

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

Just now, !Hazard! said:

If you look how Hamsik played at Napoli under Sarri, he was basically playing as a second forward at times, running into space etc. Barkley in theory should be a good fit to play that LCM position but for some reason it just isn't happening

And back on defence.  That guy has a serious motor.  Converted winger too, if I'm not mistaken (in his younger days).  I think he's seriously underrated and getting someone like him is difficult, IMO.  I thought Kovacic might be, but he doesn't come close to what Hamsik provides in the final 3rd.  

And yes, I also thought Barkley would be able to do the role as he has the needed physical qualities and his improvement at the start of the season had me really hopeful.  

[Clockwork 1,794]

6 minutes ago, !Hazard! said:

If you look how Hamsik played at Napoli under Sarri, he was basically playing as a second forward at times, running into space etc. Barkley in theory should be a good fit to play that LCM position but for some reason it just isn't happening

Hamsik is a proper midfielder though, much more well rounded player. He has quite bit of experience as pivot midfielder, 3 man midfield and as a #10. Lampard esque in ability. 

[kellzfresh 7,229]

3 hours ago, !Hazard! said:

If you look how Hamsik played at Napoli under Sarri, he was basically playing as a second forward at times, running into space etc. Barkley in theory should be a good fit to play that LCM position but for some reason it just isn't happening

Why dont our midfielders run into space? I notice this a lot, they have no football intelligence to notice they have space to run into in attack. Thats why we have few bodies in attack all the time.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

I found this article on our problems in attack.

Quick edit : This post might seem like a low-key Luiz & Jorginho Love-in.

It

Isn’t

You can make anyone look good, or terrible by taking snapshots of their 90 minute performances. What I’m trying to get at below is an issue with this team as a whole. Luiz looks amazing on the ball facing forwards with time and space ahead of him. Huge difference to the rest of the team in that aspect. Keep that in mind.

I started to write this after the Newcastle game.

Too many touches. Too much hesitation. Too slow, and all around quite boring. A win against Newcastle, yeah, but it highlighted the worst of our forwards and advanced midfielders. At times there’s a distinct lack of awareness from our attackers as to how much time and space they really have. And that was only exasperated against Arsenal when things went from bad to… bad.

We can’t pretend that the signs weren’t there before this weekend’s game at The Emirates™. After a ‘heroic’ loss at Wembley the lads took their foot off the pedal. Again. Putting in one of their worse showings in recent times against Newcastle Arsenal.

But we should be more concerned with the mentality of the team as a whole. Not so much in the cliché ‘machismo’ sense, but more in terms of being positive on the ball, taking responsibility, and showing some semblance of awareness. It’s a process. Sure. But with the risks we take playing the way we do, and margins in a game of professional football so thin, we need more in the 'final 20 metres' to make it worthwhile.

For example

https://gfycat.com/ReliableScaredHaddock

We see some quality on the ball from Luiz. These types of passes are useful because:

· You just might get in behind and create a chance or at the least unsettle their defensive shape

· At worst you’ve lost the ball very high up the pitch meaning little danger to yourself

But we don’t see enough of these sort of risks from other players further forwards. Maybe Jorginho. It sticks out like a sore thumb when Jorginho tries to pick a similar sort of run, but the key thing is at least he is trying to be incisive.

To get back to what I was talking about above. These passes from Luiz and to some extent Rudiger serve a clear purpose. And outside of the obvious poor finishing we’ll see there’s more that we’ve failed to take advantage of in these moments.

https://gfycat.com/WildUnsteadyAmericanbobtail

This time it’s only just behind the run. Pedro and Azpi recover possession. The failed attempt has disrupted Newcastle’s previously disciplined and solid shape, and gaps have formed in front of their defence.

We’re now back to the issue spoken about above. Too many touches. Slow and ponderous play that ultimately leads to very little.

Couple things that annoy me about how this all pans out.

It might be harsh to be looking at this frame by frame and bashing them for it, but as professional footballers in the top flight of the English game this is the speed at which they have to make their decisions. Margins are thin. The tempo of passing has to be quick in order to unsettle defences. The game has moved on from 15-20 years ago when the 10 had space and time to dictate and make decisions between lines.

Most of the gaps we create in defences last less than a second. And when no one takes responsibility throughout the entire move we get the same boring and frustrating tippy-tappy nonsense without a true end goal in sight.

https://gfycat.com/EmptyThinFly

It might seem like the above move was all for naught, but it actually created what it was supposed to. Space and time for a forward in a dangerous area.

https://imgur.com/a/XqMbyBA

Willian made a decoy run on the left and ended up offside. When he drifted back on, Jorginho spotted how much space he was in and played him the ball.

To receive the pass and turn into the box Willian's body shape was all wrong. He wasn't aware of the sort of space he had. But once again one of our wingers in space to turn and drive plays a passive pass backwards. He even has Alonso on his outside pinning their RB. This is a proper half-chance in my eyes.

An obvious issue then. The need for invention and to move the ball quickly. All while getting bodies into the box. It doesn’t always have to work out. It's more that the previous incision and will to force things to happen has been slowly slipping out of our game.

I’m sure Sarri is alright with his players losing the ball while playing at a high tempo. It’s better than the alternative of taking more touches for a safety first approach (that poses more of a danger to us in the long term). We’re living with the worst of both worlds. Risky build-up play without the end product to make it worthwhile.

That's a lot for one Higuain to solve, but with Hazard moving back out wide and having a threat in behind...

A lot of maybes. It's on to Sarri to sort this.

[mccg 1,528]

'I WANT HIM OUT' 

Angry Chelsea fan on talkSPORT wants to see ‘stubborn’ manager Maurizio Sarri sacked

Blues supporter tells The Sports Bar he 'can’t stand’ the Italian and compares him to former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger

https://talksport.com/football/479914/angry-talksport-caller-chelsea-maurizio-sarri-sacked/

[Unionjack 7,531]

The three flaws of Sarri-ball and how the signing of Gonzalo Higuain can fix Chelsea's system

https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/three-flaws-sarri-ball-how-15717053

[Special Juan 28,139]

"I prefer Hazard when he speaks with his feet"

Well said Maurizio.

[mccg 1,528]

Maurizio Sarri adamant Chelsea players AGREED with him over public skewering

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/maurizio-sarri-adamant-chelsea-players-13899315

[mccg 1,528]

Sarri: Chelsea players agree with me on motivation comments
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/sarri-chelsea-players-agree-me-motivation-comments

[mccg 1,528]

Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri keeping squad in the dark with unusual tactic ahead of Spurs

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/755475/Chelsea-Tottenham-Carabao-Cup-news-Maurizio-Sarri-tactics-update?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daily-star-football+(Daily+Star+%3A%3A+Football+Feed)

Should deffo tell Alonso he aint playing until he bucks up his ideas!

[Special Juan 28,139]

They train on a match day? Is this correct? If so I find that unusual on a match day

[Laylabelle 9,534]

'' Chelsea do seem to have the same season every two or three years.

They either win the league or sack their manager and finish about seventh''

So true! Hopefully this year.. Something different 

 

[Fernando 6,585]

I was not surprised with the changed.

I was thinking this time it was for real. He was a patience manager, and I would have done the same thing. 

But after losing to Arsenal it was too much and changed had to happen. 

[Laylabelle 9,534]

I hope this change sticks. It had such a impact from the start. Hopefully eyes open now

[mccg 1,528]

“I think in the last three or four matches we have had a problem, I think the players had stopped to have fun on the pitch. I think again we can find enthusiasm, it was very important.”

“[Was Hazard having fun?] I think so. I had fun with 70-75 minutes with Hazard, I think he was tired at the end. He played a fantastic match.”

“I think the position is not a big problem. I think we played with another mind and motivation and determination. His qualities are more important than that position.”

Yeah more fun nights like last night...fun fun fun