4
Sarri: I want to improve players rather than spend in January ROY FEARS BARKLEY BITE
vPremier League, Stamford Bridge: Tomorrow, 4pm MAURIZIO SARRI would rather improve his players than take the easy option of splashing the cash to solve Chelsea’s “dangerous” defensive worries.
Sarri’s Blues are unbeaten after 10 league games and just two points off top spot, but he believes they need to tighten up to win anything this season.
Unlike some of his Stamford Bridge predecessors though, Sarri won’t be pestering the Blues board to spend and insists throwing money at problems isn’t always the answer.
A fallout over transfers was central to the breakdown of previous boss Antonio Conte’s relationship with the Chelsea hierarchy.
And Sarri said: “It is too easy to go to the transfer market for every problem. We need to improve and we need to improve with these players because they can improve.
“I didn’t ask anything about it (whether there will be money to spend in January) because at the moment I think we can stay with these players.
“We are competitive, maybe not for the top, but we have to try to arrive close to it.”
The Blues’ defensively shaky EFL Cup display against Derby concerned Sarri and he added: “It is dangerous. The quality of the players is very high, so they are able to win matches, but for the future we need to become a very solid team.” PALACE boss Roy Hodgson is happy Ross Barkley has come good at last.
But he prays the midfielder he first picked for England in 2013 does not score again for Chelsea tomorrow.
Barkley has three goals in his last three games for the Blues and Hodgson said: “Ross has been unlucky with injury but has done exceptionally well to battle through that. I’m very pleased for him.
“I hope he will repay these kind words by playing very poorly on Sunday... but I doubt he will.” CHELSEA: C PALACE: REFEREE: HEAD2HEAD:
ODDS: