Premier League 2018-19: Is Maurizio Sarri the right man for Chelsea from a long-term perspective?

Maurizio Sarri arrived at Stamford Bridge amid much fanfare. He was hired to reinvent the style of football at Chelsea. Whether he has been successful or not is a matter of debate, but is he truly the right man to lead Chelsea for years to come?

Sarri implements a 4-3-3 with a midfielder dictating the tempo of the game. He is a rigid strategist who doesn't like too much tinkering with his system or tactics, and is known to be a bit stubborn.

Sarri's Chelsea started off the season in great form, going unbeaten for a long stretch. The form however dwindled over the season, with Sarri almost losing his job. He has found his way back now with a few consecutive victories recently.

Here is a look at the pros and cons of appointing Sarri as the manager at Chelsea:.

Pro: Sarriball suits the squad's skillset

Chelsea FC v Brighton & Hove Albion - Premier League

While there have been questions over whether or not Sarriball is meant for Premier League, it cannot be argued that Sarriball is truly the philosophy and the style that is meant for Chelsea.

Eden Hazard, Chelsea's saviour, has on countless occasions admitted that the previous managers at Cobham have been defensive and that Sarri is the first one who truly thinks about football the same way that he does. The Belgian has had his career-best season and is in sizzling form right now.

N'Golo Kante, perhaps the most complete midfielder around, has switched to a different gear this season. He is an invaluable asset, and has often been seen leading attacks and making incisive passes. The World Cup winner recently used a one-touch back-heel pass to create a majestic chance for Chelsea against West Ham.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ross Barkley and Willian are all very attacking players and fall in line with Sarri's footballing ideology.

Con: Doesn't trust youth

Stars in the Making

Chelsea boast of one of the best academies in the world; the amount of talent coming through is unbelievable. However, none of them seem to find a place in the Chelsea XI.

That was supposed to change this season, as an unusually high number of Academy Graduates were seen training with the first team. It was expected in the pre-season that Callum Hudson-Odoi, touted as the next big thing, would take the league by storm.

Ethan Ampadu, the Welsh international, was expected to be playing a major role in the Chelsea defense along with Andreas Christensen. And Ruben Loftus-Cheek thought he would be playing week in, week out.

Sarri, however, has failed to utilize the youth at his disposal; he hasn't given a single academy player his debut. As the season has progressed Sarri has integrated the youth more, but this should have happened at the beginning of the season.

Pro: Sarri is an idealist

"Regista"

Sarri is an idealist. He sticks by his system and looks to implement it each and every time. His footballing philosophy has certain ideals, and they are set in stone.

At the beginning of the season, people called for Kante to be shifted into the defensive midfielder role. Sarri, however, knew that his system required a technical midfielder at the centre of the park, known as the "Regista", dictating the pace of the play.

When Chelsea lost consecutive matches on the road, Sarri refused to change his formation or his system. He stuck by his ideals and decided to do the tinkering within his boundaries.

This bodes well for a club in the long run. If a manager firmly believes in his system and his ideals, then that slowly becomes the identity of the club - which often leads to long-term success.