[ad_1]
The Blues boss presented his approach to defeating his friend Pep Guardiola in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday at Wembley Stadium
Maurizio Sarri said he planned to give more mental freedom to his players before the final of the Carabao Cup in Chelsea, against Manchester City. The 6-0 defeat of the team would return to their memory.
Chelsea's boss is known for his 37 preprogrammed routines, his instructions on rebuffs and his extensive use of video badysis, but he will relax before his team meets the Premier League champions on Sunday.
Although City was beaten by Chelsea on Feb. 10, they managed to defeat Pep Guardiola's men 2-0 just two months earlier. Sarri discussed the last two meetings of his team with City and presented his change of approach before Sunday's match.
Publisher's choice
"I think we were lucky in the first match [against City] because we were in trouble in the first half, "Sarri told reporters.
"We scored in the last minute of this period, then the game changed, we were unlucky in the second game because we started very well for five minutes, then we conceded a silly goal and we did not get it. We could not react – a disaster.
"I think the truth is in the middle.This is not true, the 2-0 two months ago, or the 6-0 two weeks ago.For us, it's really very important for us to stay in the game very long And this will give us our best chance.
"In this match, for 30 minutes, I saw a very worried team. Without trust. So I do not want to squeeze them tomorrow [in training]. I want their minds to be really free. I think we will only prepare for the match on Saturday.
"I did not like our spirit in the first 30 minutes, I want to see something more free, so we're going to prepare the game in 60 minutes, no more."
This approach seems to be designed to go to the heart of a "mentality problem" that Sarri has complained about several times with his group of players. Sarri hopes the 3-0 win over Malmo on Thursday will create a more positive atmosphere in the Chelsea camp.
Eden Hazard, Gonzalo Higuain and David Luiz were among those ironed out for the shock of the Europa League. Cesar Azpilicueta was suspended after 79 minutes. Kepa Arrizabalaga, Pedro and Davide Zappacosta remain doubtful Sunday, but Sarri was happy that the dominance of his team in the second half allowed him to win several stars, as he foresaw.
"I want to see my players before [deciding]. "Sarri said about his team." Of course, for [N’Golo] Kante [needed a rest]. And I was a little worried about Azpi, because I wanted Zappacosta on the ground today, but he had a fever problem yesterday. It was impossible for him to play.
"So I tried to reduce, for him, 20 minutes, same thing for Kante. [Ross] Barkley was more tired than [Mateo] Kovacic at this point in the match. "
Apart from the Carabao Cup, Sarri has transformed Chelsea's style of play this season and has kept his team in the Europa League. He sank early in the FA Cup and now has only one point among the top four in the Premier League run.
His record allowed him to win 28 of his first 43 games, one more than Guardiola's in Man City in his first season. Sarri thinks that the huge surveillance and rumors about his dismissal have not been replicated in Manchester.
"Because he's been lucky," Sarri said to explain why Guardiola had not been tied to the bag in his first season. "I do not know, you have to ask the club, you have to ask both Manchester City and Chelsea, but I do not know if I'm under pressure from my club or you.
"I do not know at the moment, I think if you choose Guardiola, you have to wait because the club knows very well that Guardiola needs some time.This is not really easy for an English team to play this game. kind of football, so that's normal.
"I'm used to arriving in a new team from below. I started at a very low level and, season after season, I arrived here. Of course, every season, I was the coach who was coming from the bottom. So for me it's normal. I am used to this situation. "
The article continues below
A victory over City would go a long way in relieving the pressure that is undoubtedly mounting on the 60-year-old from west London. He added that the term "Sarriball" was not his invention after he was asked if the word had been used against him in recent weeks, while his tactic was under the microscope.
"I do not know the meaning of Sarriball," he concluded. "As I said in England the first day, I do not know what Sarriball is. I think it comes from a newspaper, I think. In Italy, I have never heard of it. I do not know.
"I think that ultimately the most important things are the results, without results, all that is good to criticize us in. In my work, I need the result. Nothing else."
Source link
