Sarri defends his Blues
MAURIZIO SARRI has hit out at his Chelsea critics – by taking a dig at Arsenal.
Under-fire Blues boss Sarri leads his struggling side to Wembley tomorrow to face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup Final with few expecting a Chelsea win.
But despite their woeful form, spiky Sarri defended his record after seven months at Stamford Bridge by pointing the finger at his Gunners rival Unai Emery.
Sarri, who faces the sack if Chelsea lose badly, said: “We are in the first cup final of the season.
“We are one point away from the top four in the Premier League, with the same points as Arsenal, and people say
Arsenal are doing well. We are doing a little bit better because we are in a final yet our season is a disaster. I don’t understand.
“Last season this team gained 70 points, not 100. In the summer we changed everything. So it is not easy.”
Sarri is clinging to his job after five defeats in 11 games, culminating in a 2-0 home loss to Manchester United when fans turned against him.
Chelsea insiders were shocked at the venom some Blues supporters showed the Italian, who is on borrowed time at Stamford Bridge.
A 3-0 second-leg win over Malmo in the Europa League last 32 has boosted confidence but it is only two weeks since Chelsea were thrashed 6-0 by City.
Bored
Sarri said: “It’s very important for us to stay in the match for a very long time. That will give us our best chance.”
One criticism levelled at him is that he bombards his players with so much information that they switch off and become bored.
But after watching them wilt at the Etihad in a game he called “a disaster”, he claims he will spend no more than one hour discussing City with his players this time around.
He added: “In that match, for 30 minutes I saw a team very worried. Without confidence. So I don’t want to press them. I want their minds very free. “We will prepare the match only on Saturday, in 60 minutes, no more.” Sarri’s supporters have pointed to the fact his win-loss record is actually better than Pep Guardiola’s was in his first season at City.
But Guardiola arrived as one of the best and most successful coaches in the world, at a club prepared to give him time and money to get things right. Sarri has yet to win anything in his whole career and Chelsea, whose spending has come down drastically in recent years, do not have a reputation for patience.
Asked about Guardiola, he said: “Why did he get more time? Because he was lucky? I don’t know. You have to ask Manchester City and Chelsea.
“If a club chooses Guardiola, you have to wait because the club knows that he needs time. It’s not easy for an English team to play that kind of football.
“I don’t know the meaning of ‘Sarriball’. I don’t know what it is. I think it came from a journal in Italy. The most important things are the results. Without results, everything is irrelevant.” Third round, September 25:
Won 3-0 v Oxford, Kassam Stadium.
Fourth round, November 1:
Won 2-0 v Fulham, Etihad Stadium.
Quarter-final, December 18:
Drew 1-1 v Leicester, won 3-1 on penalties, King Power Stadium.
Semi-final, January 9 & 23:
Won 10-0 on aggregate v Burton. Third round, September 26:
Won 2-1 v Liverpool, Anfield. Fourth round, October 31:
Won 3-2 v Derby, Stamford Bridge. Quarter-final, December 19: Won 1-0 Bournemouth, Stamford Bridge. Semi-final, January 8 and January 24
Drew 2-2 on aggregate with Tottenha won 4-2 on penalties.