The decision to appoint the Italian was a bold move by Chelsea, but they will need to alter their short-term approach for it to be worthwhile.
Maurizio Sarri built a Napoli side that produced some of the best football in Europe over the last few seasons, but they couldn’t bring home a long-awaited title last season.
Juventus’ consistency over the entire season meant they just edged them even though Partenopei were able to come away from Allianz stadium with a famous victory.
His high-tempo possession-based style is exciting to watch and produces results. However, it may take him a while to replicate that at Chelsea.
It requires a high technical standard and tactical intelligence for his ideas to be brought into fruition; there is no guarantee that Chelsea have the right players to do this either.
The signing of Jorginho helps in this regard significantly because the Napoli team was built around him and his passing. He can bring control to their games and help start the transition away from a reactive to a proactive style.
Last season, he had a pass success percentage of 89.5 in the league and averaged 96.9 passes per game.
Antonio Conte certainly had success at Chelsea, but his style is radically different from Sarri. Therefore, it may take a while for the squad to adjust.
Squad versatility is key
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Chelsea’s large squad does help in this regard because there are plenty of options for Sarri to choose from. Youngsters such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham could finally get a chance in the first team.
Players like Marcos Alonso and N’Golo Kante appear to be great fits because the full-back is comfortable in attacking areas while Kante reads the game well and suits a counter-pressing style.
New signings are likely as well, but keeping hold of Eden Hazard should be the main priority because he finally has a manager who sets his team up ambitiously and can bring the best out of him.
Is Rugani the key?
According to The Times, the Blues appear to be stalling over Juventus’ £40 million valuation for Daniel Rugani, but they have reportedly been offered Miralem Pjanic.
The Italian giants need to bring in some money to offset the expenditure on Cristiano Ronaldo. Pjanic is likely to be too expensive after the signing of Jorginho. However, Rugani is worth the money if he is a major target for Sarri.
Dependable centre-backs are key to his system due to the high defensive line that is utilised as well as the focus on passing out of danger even under heavy pressure.
Gary Cahill isn’t suited to the new style being implemented while David Luiz is injury-prone and a liability.
Cesar Azpilicueta will probably shift back to being a full-back, which leaves Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger as the main options. The Danish defender is raw while Rudiger can be inconsistent.
Therefore, bringing in another talented centre-back would ensure the right level of competition. Kurt Zouma is a capable fourth centre-back option.
The main issue for Sarri is ensuring that he rotates his team efficiently and utilises the size of the squad. It was a major issue at Napoli, but one he shouldn’t repeat in England. They have capable alternatives in most positions even if they aren’t ideal for his style of football.
This is a period of major change for the club, so it may take more than one season for the expected results. The fans and Roman Abramovich have to be patient because this is a golden opportunity for the club.
Sarri is the ideal manager to give the club an identity which isn’t just results-based. They may look enviously at the project Pep Guardiola has built at Manchester City, but Sarri is one of the few managers capable of replicating something similar.
Patience is key.