Results could suffer says boss
MAURIZIO SARRI has warned Chelsea will have “problems” in the first few months of the season.
He reckons it could take up to two months for his squad to grasp the new ideas and methods he has been drilling into them for the past four weeks.
Those problems, Sarri admits, could come in the form of bad results.
And the 59-year-old former Napoli coach, whose side open their Premier League campaign at Huddersfield today, believes that it might not even be until the second half of the season until his team click into gear.
He points to his late appointment and a chaotic pre-season as reasons why he should be given time to get things right at Stamford Bridge.
“We are not at the top of our potential,” said the Italian. “I hope to be at the top of the potential of the squad in one or two months, but I don’t know. I hope that the second part of the season will be very good with a lot of points.
“In the first part of the season I expect some problems on the results.
‘‘Maybe the performances in the first part of the season will not be in line with the potential of the squad.
‘‘The board know this. Next year I will try and change pre-season completely, if I can.
“I arrived in the middle of July, so the problem was there. I had to accept it completely, but for the future it would be better to change.” Sarri is expected to give new £71.6m goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga his debut at the John Smith’s Stadium today, but his other new capture this week, Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic, is likely to have to wait.
The Italian’s style of quick-passing, high-pressure football became known as “Sarri-ball” at Napoli, where he led the club to two second-place finishes in three years.
Sarri said: “You have to wait for a couple of months. I don’t know exactly what Sarri-ball is – it’s not my definition.
“At Napoli we played at great speed, moving the ball forward and back with continuity. It was fun for the supporters – and useful for results.
“We got 91 points last season. On 23 of the last 25 Serie A seasons, that was enough to win the championship. So it was a bit unlucky.
“I don’t know if we can play the same way in England. It depends on the characteristics of the Premier League and my players. I have to adapt myself.”
Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi was yesterday unloaded to Valencia on a year’s loan, while midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko is in talks with AC Milan over a loan deal.