Trophy is the key
1 JOSE MOURINHO (June 2004 – Sept 2007). Won two PL titles, FA Cup and two League Cups and then it went sour. 2 AVRAM GRANT (Sept 2007 – May 2008). Surprise appointment. Axed after losing Champions League final. 3 LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI (July 2007 – Feb 2009). Ex-Portugal boss axed after top-four place came under threat. 4 CARLO ANCELOTTI (June 2009 – May 2011). Won League and FA Cup Double in first year but axed after finishing second. 5 ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS (June 2011 – March 2012). Axed after top-four place looked under threat. 6 ROBERTO DI MATTEO (March – Nov 2012). Won FA Cup and Champions League, then sacked. 7 JOSE MOURINHO (June 2013 – Dec 2015). Return of the prodigal. Bagged another title but axed the following December. 8 ANTONIO CONTE (April 2016 - July 2018). Won title in first year and the FA Cup in May but axed this summer. work is unfinished at the moment then you have to say Sarri is the best by far to get them playing like this. He will do it, his team will get playing the way he wants. I think he will be perfect for English football.
“Chelsea will be a big rival, they always are. They have won a lot of titles – after United they are the club with the most – with managers like Mourinho, Ancelotti, Di Matteo and Conte. Chelsea have always been tough – now with Sarri they will be tough too.”
Last night Sarri revealed that he had spoken to Guardiola before taking the job at Stamford Bridge. “Guardiola told me that here in England it is very difficult, the level is very high,” he said. “He had some problems in his first season at City but he said that football is the same everywhere.
“Pep is a friend, so I respect him as a person first of all and as a coach I respect him for the depends on the club. I know I have to win.”
Sarri, who has only been working with his squad for two and a half weeks, knows his chances of survival depend on winning trophies.
Sarri, who has signed a three-year contract, won widespread praise at Napoli for their football yet did not win a trophy in his three years there.
The 59-year-old Italian said: “It is important to start with a trophy. Important to prepare for the step forward.
“I am looking forward to playing at Wembley because it is my first time. The match will be difficult for us. I want to win work he has done at City and at Bayern Munich and Barcelona. He is one of the best coaches in the world – maybe the best now.
“This match is very difficult for us for that reason. They have been together for two years and we started only two and a half weeks ago.” Guardiola’s dinner date with Sarri did not, however, help him win the battle to sign Napoli midfielder and longterm target Jorginho, who led City to believe he would sign but then decided to follow his manager to Stamford Bridge.
But he insists he is glad the Brazilian-born Italy international did not move to the Etihad because his heart was clearly not in the move.
It was a second transfer slap in the face to City following their abortive pursuit of Alexis Sanchez in the January window when the Chilean made a U-turn and decided to move to neighbours Manchester United. but right now it is the performance that’s important.”
Sarri has failed to land Juventus trio Gonzalo Higuain, Mattia Caldara and Daniele Rugani but hopes to secure Inter Milan midfielder Matias Vecino and Shakhtar Donetsk’s former winger Bernard, while Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha is also a target.
Sarri added: “We need something. We have very good midfielders but maybe a midfielder with different characteristics.”
He did get one boost yesterday as striker Pedro signed a one-year contract extension to keep him at Chelsea until 2020. “Yes, we were close but in the end Jorginho decided to stay with Sarri,” said Guardiola.
“I want players who want to come here. He didn’t want that. The blow would be to come here when he prefers Chelsea, nobody put it in his head to come.
“We were so close, we believed it was done, but at the last turn he decided on Chelsea, like Alexis with United. There are other players but the transfer window is nearly done and we’ll decide in five or six days.”
Sarri, meanwhile, says he has spoken to Willian after the Brazil playmaker returned late to Chelsea training after the World Cup and now claims there is no problem between them.
The 29-year-old cut a forlorn figure at times under former manager Conte last season and has been linked with Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid this summer.
“There is not a Willian problem,” said Sarri. “I spoke yesterday with him about his lateness, not about his future. It was a very positive conversation. I am happy about it.”
Pep is a friend and I respect him as a person