A big week for Maurizio Sarri
Maurizio Sarri has reached the stage of his Chelsea career where this week could make or break his future at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues host Manchester United in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Monday night, Malmo in the second leg of the last 32 in the Europa League on Thursday, before seeking revenge against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final next Sunday.
And despite still being in all three cup competitions – and despite having a realistic chance to win all three – the nature of the managerial role at Chelsea means that even victory over City in the final will not guarantee that Sarri will be the Blues boss at the end of the season.
Many are surprised he has even lasted this long given Chelsea’s recent capitulation in the league. Even Sarri himself must be shocked that he hasn’t received his P45 from Roman Abramovich yet.
Following Chelsea’s two worst defeats in Premier League history; a 4-0 drubbing at Bournemouth topped only 11 days later by a 6-0 humiliation at the hands of City; many have, rightly or wrongly, been asking the question of how long Sarri has left at Stamford Bridge. And the short answer is: probably not that long.
It’s been well documented that Chelsea managers rarely get the chance to build a career of any more than two seasons in charge, and even if they last that long, you can bet your house that the third season will almost guarantee the sack.
In Sarri’s case, you could have bet your house that anything less than a win against Malmo last Thursday would have had the former banker on a flight back to Naples rather than West London.
The Italian, however, did ease the pressure that is rapidly mounting on his shoulders ever so slightly with a victory in the first leg, but it is going to take much more than an underwhelming defeat against a Swedish side in Europe’s baby competition to win his doubters over.
His failure to deliver his ‘Sarri-ball’ style that served him so well at Napoli has led to the Italian to ‘Sarri-fall’ out of favour with many Chelsea fans.
The Blues have fallen down to sixth in the league following recent results, 15 points off the pace of joint league leaders City and Liverpool – though it would appear an insult to City that Chelsea are only 15 points adrift given the gulf in class between the two sides during the 6-0 demolition last weekend.
As the cliché goes, however; a week is a long time in football. And for Sarri, this week is massive.
If he can mastermind his way to victories over United and City and ensure the Blues do not slip up against Malmo in the second leg, then he may well survive until the end of the season.
Defeat in any one of the next three though, and Sarri might not even be in charge for the Blues next Premier League game.