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FA CUP | ALYSON RUDD

Chelsea fans in revolt over Maurizio Sarri’s joyless, hopeless, losing football

Chelsea head coach has a touch of the martyr about him as he keeps pressing on regardless, writes Alyson Rudd

The Times

The voice screamed from the stands. “Change it Sarri. Change it. It’s not working.”

While the tactical preferences of Maurizio Sarri might seem complex, there is no fooling the Chelsea fans. They know their head coach has a system, they know he is committed to it, they know that, no matter the score, he does not tinker.

All clubs need to balance instant gratification with a long-term business plan. In the 60-year-old Italian, Chelsea have a coach who offers neither. Sarri belongs in a category of his own. The former Napoli manager wants the players at his disposal to execute his tactics right now and, if that is not possible, he will not bide his time, he will persevere even if, in the short term,