3 changes Sarri needs to make for Chelsea to finish in the top 4

Maurizio Sarri’s start to his Premier League career hasn’t been as potent as he would have imagined. Replacing Conte as the manager of Chelsea, Sarri had managed to lead his side to a 12-match unbeaten run in the league before succumbing to the city rivals Tottenham 3-1 away from home. Since then, his team failed to find any sort of rhythm consistently.

Four Premier League losses later, one of which included a 6-0 humiliation at the hands of the defending champions Manchester City, doubts started creeping over the Italian’s job at the club. What exactly is going wrong for Sarri? Is it his conventional and predictable lineups? Or is it the fact that the players are just not able to adjust to the new style of play?

Let’s look at three changes Sarri needs to make for Chelsea to finish in the top four.

#1 The CDM position

Jorginho was the key player for Sarri during his days at Napoli. He was signed by Chelsea upon Sarri’s request once he was appointed as the manager. Playing the ‘regista’ role, Jorginho replaced N’ Golo Kanté as the defensive midfielder while the Frenchman was given a new role of going forward. While it all started well for Jorginho, his form has depleted lately.

Opponents have found a way to draw him out of the game and exploit Chelsea’s weakness. He is no more the same Napoli Jorginho who used to command the play from the back. Replacing Jorginho by defender David Luiz is one change that needs to be implemented by Chelsea. This also helps Chelsea overcome David’s defensive vulnerabilities.

David Luiz is known for his excellent passing and the through balls which makes him a better choice for the deep-lying playmaker role. This also paves the way for the in-form defender Andreas Christensen to make his way into the starting XI.

#2 The LCM position

Ruben Loftus Cheek should be given more chances

One position for which Sarri is yet to find the correct player is the left central midfield and due to this his team has struggled at times to create clear-cut chances. Mateo Kovacic was brought on loan from Real Madrid and Ross Barkley was to be the second fiddle for the role.

However, neither one of them possesses the ability that Sarri demands from the left central midfielder. Kovacic is a good passer of the ball but his shooting ability isn’t up to the mark. Barkley’s inconsistency is adding to Chelsea’s attacking worries.

One change that would work for Chelsea is to promote the academy product Ruben Loftus-Cheek into the LCM role. Loftus-Cheek is versatile, a physically capable midfielder who can shoot and make the runs into the box. He has more power and pace than both his team-mates and could make a real impact this term for the Italian boss.

3) The LB position:

Emerson should replace Alonso at left-back

Marcus Alonso’s defensive abilities (or lack thereof) have been time and again exploited by the opponents this season and though the Spaniard started off quite strongly, he has been really poor in recent times.

Antonio Conte overcame his vulnerabilities by playing him in the wing-back role in the 5-man defense. However, Sarri’s fluid 4-3-3 system requires the full-backs to constantly overlap and track-back sooner.

Alonso’s lack of pace and lack of positional awareness demands Emerson Palmieri’s inclusion in the starting XI, who can possibly do a much better job than his team-mate. He has looked steady when being played and sticks to his job, rather than running around vaguely and giving the opposition attack free-space to make easy runs.

Emerson is not just better defensively, but is also an excellent crosser of the ball and has proven to be effective whenever given a chance. Sarri needs to make this big call before it’s too late and his team loses more crucial games.